PML-N's Hafiz Abdul Karim elected member of Senate
The PML-N-backed candidate got 243 votes and became Senator on the seat that fell vacant after the demise of Prof Sajid Mir.
The voting began at 9:00am and continued until 4:00pm. A total of 345 members cast their votes for the seat, with four candidates in the race.
The PML-N appointed Chief Whip Rana Arshad as its polling agent, while the opposition nominated Rana Shehbaz for the role.
The candidates include PML-N's Hafiz Abdul Karim, PTI's Mehr Abdul Sattar, and independent contenders Khadija Siddiqi and Ejaz Minhas.
The newly elected Senator, Hafiz Abdul Karim, expressed gratitude to the PML-N leadership and allied parties' members, pledging to raise a strong voice in the Upper House for the betterment of the country and public welfare. He vowed to actively represent Punjab and contribute to national policymaking.
PML-N Chief Whip Rana Muhammad Arshad stated that the ruling coalition members remained united and fully followed the party leadership's instructions. Party leader Shoaib Siddiqui expressed confidence that Hafiz Abdul Karim would effectively represent Punjab, the country's largest province, in the Senate.
During the voting process, PML-N senior leader Maryam Nawaz Sharif cut short her visit to flood-affected areas to arrive at the Punjab Assembly to ensure support for her party's candidate. Both the ruling alliance and opposition actively campaigned for their respective candidates throughout the election process.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Express Tribune
5 hours ago
- Express Tribune
Senators decry judicial overreach
A 12-member panel, headed by Adviser to PM on NHLH Irfan Siddiqui, was constituted by PM. PHOTO: FILE Listen to article The Senate on Friday took exception to the Islamabad High Court's (IHC) move to issue stay orders on matters under discussion in parliamentary committees. Terming it a serious breach of privilege, the lawmakers called for the matter to be referred to the Senate's Committee on Rules of Procedure and Privileges. They also urged that the attorney general be summoned to explain the judiciary's overreach into parliamentary affairs. During the session, chaired by Senator Irfan Siddiqui, Senator Saleem Mandviwalla of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) objected to the stay orders issued by the IHC and Lahore High Court (LHC) against upper house proceedings. "I have never seen stay orders against parliamentary proceedings before. This should be taken seriously," he said, urging the Senate to summon the attorney general. "We never interfere in court proceedings, but judges issuing stay orders against committee actions is direct interference in Parliament. It's becoming a joke." Shahadat Awan supported the call. "We will seek input from the law minister and summon the attorney general for clarification and action." Senator Anusha Rehman said such actions violated Article 66 of the Constitution and constituted a breach of privilege. "Issuing a stay order against a member of Parliament is a direct attack on their privilege," she said, urging the House to refer the matter to the privileges committee and have those responsible appear before it. "No one can stop us from speaking in this House," she added. Senator Kamran Murtaza expressed concern over reports of lawyers being picked up in Balochistan. "If someone has committed a crime, they should be punished under the law," he said. The Presiding Officer responded that a report on the matter would be sought.
Business Recorder
7 hours ago
- Business Recorder
PTI founder steps up criticism of ‘establishment'
ISLAMABAD: In a fiery denunciation from behind bars, ex-prime minister Imran Khan on Friday slammed the 'establishment'. In a blistering message posted on X, Khan said 'establishment' is bent on cementing its personal power at the cost of national interest. 'The Senate, the National Assembly, the Prime Minister, and the President – none of them have any constitutional legitimacy,' Khan declared, lambasting what he called a 'sham constitutional court' that manipulated parliamentary seat distribution to rig the political landscape in favour of the military's chosen players. Khan did not spare the Election Commission of Pakistan either, accusing Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja of masterminding an unprecedented electoral fraud and then securing an extension to dodge any accountability. He revealed that an Islamabad High Court (IHC) judge has refused to hear his appeals for seven months, a silence he attributed to direct military interference. Condemning the systematic dismantling of the judiciary, institutions, and democratic norms, Khan said the legitimisation of military courts amounted to a judicial self-execution – a 'vote of no confidence' against the judiciary itself. He also alleged that the military leadership has weaponised his wife, Bushra Bibi, in a bid to break his spirit, but vowed he would rather die than bow to what he called 'Asim Munir's monarchy.' Khan dubbed the current rulers a 'Dacoits-and-Duffers Alliance' that has trampled judicial independence through the controversial 26th Amendment. Taking aim at Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, he blamed the cricket administrator for the country's plummeting status in the sports, warning that such unqualified cronies are ruining every institution they touch. He revealed that his calls for dialogue were contingent on the formation of inquiry commissions to investigate the bloody events of November 26, 2024, and May 9, 2023 – events he said were orchestrated under Gen Munir's orders, including the shooting of unarmed civilians. With dialogue now off the table, Khan asserted that the military has completely hijacked the country's system. Khan said he has tasked his legal team with ensuring the protest movement continues unabated, with the goal of restoring justice, the rule of law, and constitutional supremacy. He warned that without popular mobilisation, his party faces slow political extinction. On electoral reforms, Khan reiterated his long-standing demand for Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), claiming that their use in the February 8, 2024 elections would have ended rigging once and for all. He urged their immediate adoption to guarantee transparent and fair elections in the future. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Business Recorder
7 hours ago
- Business Recorder
Nawabzada Mohsin joins PML-N
ISLAMABAD: In a move underscoring the evolving political landscape in the country, Nawabzada Mohsin Ali Khan, a former stalwart of the embattled Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), formally joined the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on Friday. Khan, who had earlier expressed unwavering support for PTI chief Imran Khan's leadership, has now extended allegiance to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's vision, marking a notable shift in the province's political contours. The defection comes at a time of considerable flux within the political landscape, where ideological consistency often takes a backseat to strategic recalibration. During a meeting with the prime minister, accompanied by his son and several close associates, in the presence of Federal Minister Amir Muqam – who leads the PML-N's efforts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa – Khan endorsed the party's developmental agenda and pledged to advance its policies in the province. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif welcomed the move and called on Khan to play an active role in strengthening the party's presence in the province. The development comes amid growing fissures within the PTI and escalating political competition across key constituencies. Khan's political journey has been marked by multiple shifts in party affiliation, reflecting a trajectory driven more by political pragmatism than ideological commitment. A longstanding political figure in Karak district, he has contested elections at both the provincial and national levels under various party banners. In the 1988 and 1990 general elections, Khan won the PF-33 (Karak-II) seat as a candidate of the Islami Jamhoori Ittehad (IJI), defeating Zafar Azam on both occasions. He later joined the Awami National Party (ANP) and played an active role in the 2014 Political Parties Joint Committee on FATA Reforms, advocating for constitutional integration and democratic representation in the erstwhile tribal areas. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
