PTI will emerge as a leading party in Senate: CM Buzdar

Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar has said that the ruling PTI will emerge as a leading party in the Senate, adding that through a "successful strategy" in the province, senators have been elected unopposed, media reported on Sunday.

The chief minister expressed these views in a ceremony held in honour of PTI senator-elect from Punjab, Aoun Abbas Buppi at a local hotel on Saturday which was attended by provincial ministers and assembly members were also present on this occasion.

Congratulating Aon Abbas Buppi over his election, Buzdar said that the Opposition has always promoted politics of horse-trading while the steps being taken by Prime Minister Imran Khan for ensuing and upholding transparency in the polls have been lauded by the nation. The corrupt elements had gathered to protect their interests and the Opposition had used every negative tactic against the government but failed, he stated.

The chief minister said that the Opposition's politics of double standards could not hoodwink people as the government was making all-out efforts for the welfare of the people. On Thursday, the Election Commission Punjab announced that all candidates for the Senate election from Punjab have been elected unopposed.

All candidates on the technocrat and general seats from Punjab have been elected unopposed, said the election commission. The candidates were elected after all challengers withdrew their nomination papers. According to the break-up, five Senators each from the PML-N and the PTI have been elected while one, Kamil Ali Agha, has been elected unopposed from the PML-Q's platform.

The candidates, who withdrew their nomination papers on Thursday include Muhammad Baligh-urRehman, Jamshed Iqbal Cheema, Zahid Hamid, Malik Zaheer Abbas Khokhar, Omar Sarfraz Cheema, Azeem-ul-Haq Minhas and Saif-ulMalook Khokhar on general seats.

After the withdrawal of the seven nomination papers, a total of seven candidates were left in the run for Senate elections on seven general seats, who were declared elected unopposed consequently.