Political parties have increased efforts to contact allies for the upcoming polls for the coveted slot of chairman and deputy chairman of the Upper House of Parliament.
Pakistan Muslim League–Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif has called a meeting with allies of his parties later today.
Jamiat Ulema-e Islam–F (JUI-F) chief Fazl-ur-Rehman has also called a separate meeting Thursday afternoon.
Speaking on Geo News’ programme Aaj Shahzaib Khanzada Ke Saath, Pakistan Peoples Party leader Abdul Qayyum Soomro said that his party does not wish to 'play on PML-N’s wicket'.
“We will create an alliance with all parties except for PML-N to get [our] Senate chairman elected,” said Soomro.
In the Senate polls on Saturday, PML-N-backed independent candidates emerged as the largest party in the Upper House of Parliament.
The party bagged a total of 15 Senate seats across the country, according to unofficial and unverified results, taking its total strength in the 104-member Senate to 33.
Despite the PPP's decline in Senate to a total of 20 seats, the party is aiming to take the slots of chairman and deputy chairman with the help of allies and independents.
According to sources in the PML-N, the party has invited Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan to attend the meeting of its allied parties, which the latter has accepted. The invitation was extended to the senators during a meeting with PML-N leader Raja Zafarul Haq.
Senator Mirza Mohammad Afridi, who was elected as an independent senator from the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) joined the party on Monday, after a meeting with Nawaz.
The PPP,on the other hand, had earlier claimed to have the support of eight senators from FATA for the two seats.
The development came on Tuesday following a meeting between PPP leaders Dr Qayyum Soomro and Senator Saleem Mandviwala and the independent FATA senators.
According to sources, the FATA senators demanded support from the PPP regarding the rights of tribal areas in return for support for the Senate chairman and deputy chairman positions.
One of the four senators elected on Saturday, Mirza Afridi, had reportedly joined the PML-N on Monday.