Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has taken a firm stance by nominating former Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani as its candidate for the role of Senate chairman.
Gilani, who recently stepped down from the Senate and subsequently took oath as a member of the National Assembly, has emerged as the preferred candidate of the party for the position of Senate chairman.
Despite Gilani’s resignation, PPP leadership remains resolute in their decision regarding his candidacy for the Senate chairmanship, as reported by The News on Saturday.
Under the leadership of Bilawal Bhutto, the party is actively consulting legal and political experts to determine the most suitable path for Gilani’s re-election to the Senate.
While the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has scheduled Senate by-elections for March 14 to fill vacant seats, the timeline for the upcoming main Senate elections, due to the retirement of half the senators on March 11, is yet to be announced.
Insiders within PPP disclose that the party’s legal team is assessing options for Gilani’s return to the Senate, whether through the by-election or the subsequent Senate elections for a six-year term.
A final decision, expected within a day or two, will be based on the advice of PPP lawyers, who will obtain nomination papers for the Senate by-election on the seat vacated by Gilani.
If approved by the party leadership, Gilani will submit his nomination for the Senate by-election from Islamabad, the constituency he won after resigning from the Senate. However, this approach may change if PPP leadership decides for Gilani to contest the main Senate elections instead.
Sources within the PPP also suggest that Gilani remains a leading contender for the Senate chairman position, with the details of his candidacy finalized in consultation with the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N). The decision regarding Gilani’s candidacy is entrusted to PPP’s top leadership.
If elected as Senate chairman, Gilani would achieve a rare distinction, having served in the top three constitutional posts in the country: Speaker of the National Assembly, Prime Minister of Pakistan, and Chairman of the Senate.
Although Gilani previously contested the Senate chairman election in 2021, narrowly missing out on victory, he secured victory in the National Assembly constituency NA-148 after a recount, solidifying his standing as a formidable candidate.
