Islamabad (March 12, 2018): Special Senate session to elect its new Chairman and Deputy Chairman Today.
President Mamnoon Hussain has already summoned a session of the Senate today, in which newly-elected senators will sworn in at 10 am.
Nomination papers for Senate chairman and deputy chairman will then be submitted in the Senate Secretariat at noon.
The nomination papers will be reviewed at 2 pm after which another session will be summoned at 4pm the same day, when the chairman and deputy chairman will be elected.
Following the election, the Senate chairman will take oath, and will then swear in his deputy. After the oath-taking, the session will be adjourned until further notice.
Earlier on Sunday night, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) announced to support Balochistan independent candidate Sadiq Sanjrani for the Senate chairman slot.
Speaking to media here, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto said that it will field Saleem Mandviwalla on the deputy chairman seat.
Earlier, the PPP and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf had given Chief Minister Balochistan Abdul Quddus Bizenjo the authority to bring forth a joint candidate for the slots with help of the newly-elected independent senators from Balochistan.
PTI had also announed to throw its weight behind Sanjrani. Chief minister of Balochistan, Abdul Quddus Bizenjo, held a meeting with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan at his Bani Gala residence earlier today along with independent senators from the province.
Following the meeting, the PTI spokesperson informed the media that the party will support Sadiq Sanjrani, an independent senator-elect from Balochistan for the Senate chairman.
Whereas, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) held a meeting under the chair of party supremo and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, to decide on their candidates for senate top posts on Sunday
The meeting was attended by senior party leaders, including Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi.
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Senior PML-N leadership also met with allies, including, National Party leader Hasil Bizenjo, Jamiat Ulema Islam-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman as well as independent senators-elects from FATA.
Hasil Bizenjo talking to media after the meeting said that the PML-N and allies had finalised names for the chairman and deputy chairman slots but that they will wait for an announcement from the Pakistan Peoples Party.
Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will announce the PML-N candidates in the morning today, Bizenjo said.
Earlier, former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif claimed to get the required majority for the Chairman Senate. While chairing a consultative meeting of PML-N, Nawaz Sharif claimed that they got the required majority for the top slot of Senate, the sources added.
It is pertinent to mention here that PPP had announced to support Sadiq Sanjrani for the Senate chairman slot. PML-N yet to announce its candidates for the Senate top posts. 
Nawaz Sharif told the meeting that both factions of Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan assured their support to PML-N.
PML-N will bring its own candidate for chairman and let allies have the deputy chairman slot.
On the other hand, Nawaz Sharif met with the five FATA senators and urged them to vote for PML-N. The FATA senators assured their support to Nawaz Sharif, said the sources.
Number game
The candidates backed by Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PMLN) stand at 33. After adding the number of senators from its allies, the numbers surge to 48 as PkAMP has 5 senators, National Party has five, JUI-F has four and PML-F has one.
Yesterday, Nawaz Sharif claimed to have gain the support of five senators from MQMP, two out of eight from FATA and one each from ANP and 1 from Balochistan National Party (Mengal). Adding these figures in the PMLN’s equation, numbers augment to 57 whereas only 53 votes are required to elect the chairman and deputy chairman for the Upper House of parliament.
PTI, PPP and Balochistan Panel
These three groups have joined the ranks of each other to bar PMLN. In the latest development, Bilawal Bhutto (chairman of PPP) has announced to support Sadiq Sanjrani for Senate chairmanship. He is also backed by PTI and Balochistan panel. If these three parties gain support from FATA members, they would be also be in the position to make sure appointment of their candidates on the aforementioned posts.
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