PPP’s Syed Waqar Mehdi won the by-election held for the vacant general seat of the Senate from the province of Sindh in Karachi on Tuesday, the Associated Press of Pakistan reported.
The ruling PPP and the opposition Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) had nominated Waqar Mehdi and Nighat Mirza, respectively. The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) did not field any candidate and on Monday it announced boycotting the polling process as well.
In the by-election held at the Sindh Assembly, Mehdi secured 111 votes, while MQM-P’s Nighat Mirza received 36, and two were rejected, said the returning officer, Provincial Election Commissioner Sindh Ejaz Anwar Chauhan.
The polling was conducted from 9am to 4pm without any break. A total of 149 votes were cast during the scheduled polling time.
The general Senate seat from Sindh province fell vacant after the death of PPP’s Senator Taj Haider on April 8 in Karachi. He was elected a senator on a PPP ticket from a Senate general seat in Sindh in March 2021 for a period of six years.
Officials had said that the candidate to be elected on Tuesday will serve as a member of the Senate for a period of around two years until March 2027.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister of Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah has extended his heartfelt congratulations to Syed Waqar Mehdi on being elected as a Senator.
The chief minister said that Waqar Mehdi’s victory is a clear reflection of the public’s trust in the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP).
Shah further said that under the dynamic leadership of PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the PPP has become an unbeatable political force.
The CM emphasised that the PPP is continuously achieving success on both public and parliamentary fronts, adding that no other political party in the country enjoys the level of popularity that the PPP does.
Separately, Speaker Sindh Assembly Syed Awais Qadir Shah has extended heartfelt congratulations to Pakistan People’s Party leader Waqar Mehdi on his election as Senator. In his congratulatory message, he said that Waqar Mehdi’s success is a reflection of the democratic process and the public’s trust in the Pakistan People’s Party.
The Speaker stated that Waqar Mehdi is a senior leader of the party and a true representative of public politics, who has always upheld humanity, principles and integrity in his political journey. He added that the Pakistan People’s Party is the standard-bearer of the ideologies of its martyred leaders and democratic values.
Syed Awais Qadir Shah remarked that the transparent conduct of the Senate elections reflects the professionalism of the Election Commission. He also expressed his gratitude to all PPP voters and members of the assembly who played a role in Waqar Mehdi’s victory.
Provincial Minister for Energy and Planning, Syed Nasir Hussain Shah, congratulated Syed Waqar Mehdi on becoming a Senator, stating in his message that Syed Waqar Mehdi’s election as Senator is a victory for democracy.
He added that Mehdi’s services for the promotion of democracy have borne fruit. He expressed confidence that Waqar Mehdi will represent Sindh excellently in the Senate and play his full role.
Regarding the victory of the Pakistan People’s Party in the Senate by-election in Sindh, Nasir Shah said that another loyalist of the People’s Party has reached the Senate. He said that Chairman Bilawal Bhutto̵7;s selection in the form of Waqar Mehdi has been successful, and the People’s Party has always given its loyalists their rightful place.
