ISLAMABAD: The newly-elected senators took oath Tuesday amid noisy protests by the PTI, terming the process of election of chairman and deputy chairman as “unconstitutional” due to an “incomplete house”.
President Asif Ali Zardari had summoned the session of the Senate to meet for its inaugural session today for the oath-taking of newly-elected members and the election of the Senate chairman and deputy chairman.
When the session began today with Senator Ishaq Dar as the presiding officer, the PTI members launched the protest and demanded adjournment of the house till the election of senators from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
PTI Senator Ali Zafar requested the presiding officer of the Senate on Tuesday to put off the session as the upper house was incomplete without memebers from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
He made the request at the start of the Sentae session which is being held for election of new chariman and deputy chairman and oath taking of newly-elected members started on Tuesday.
Earlier, Ishaq Dar was called to preside over the session.
Senator Ali Zafar said that the PTI had already sent a letter to the chairman for postponement of session as it was unconstitutional to elect officials without copletion of the house.
The newly-elected senators will take oath after which the election for the constitutional posts of chairman and deputy chairman will be held.
The presiding officer nominated by the prime minister will administer the oath to the newly-elected senators. Members elected in the by-elections of the Senate on vacant seats will also be administered the oath.
The ruling alliance has nominated PPP’s Yousuf Raza Gilani as it’s candidate for the Senate chairman’s slot.
Meanwhile, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Monday decided to boycott the election for Senate chairman and deputy chairman.
The decision was taken in the PTI’s core committee meeting where the party urged for delaying the election owing to the postponement of the Senate election in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
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