RAWALPINDI: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) is relying on the support of Pakistan Muslim League (PML-Q), PPP and independents as well as dissidents of the ruling PML-N to get at least one senator elected from Punjab.

The total strength of PTI in Punjab Assembly is 30 - 25 directly elected MPAs and four women and one minority member. For electing a senator, a party should have at least 50 members’ support.

PPP and PML-Q have eight members each, Jamaat-i-Islami one and independents five in the assembly.

As many as 12 senators will be elected from Punjab - seven on general seats, two women, two technocrats and one on minority seat. However, the ruling PML-N has the support of 320 members - 310 elected on its own tickets and 10 from its allies such as PML-Zia and Jamiat-i-Ulema Islam (JUI-F).

PTI has nominated former governor Chaudhry Sarwar as its candidate while PML-Q fielded Kamil Ali Agha. Both have started seeking each other support for their respective candidates. A senior PTI leader told Dawn that out of the seven general seats the party could win a seat with the support of others and in this regard it had started wooing opposition parties and independent candidates.

He said the party had given the task to Punjab Assembly opposition leader Mian Mehmoodur Rashid to meet PML-Q, PPP and Jamaat-i-Islami and seek their support.

He said the PTI members of the assembly had been asked to be present on the election day as the party wanted to win a seat from Punjab. He said local MPAs had contacted three independent members and managed to get their support for the PTI candidate.

He said the PTI had assured the PPP leadership in Punjab that if it supported Chaudhry Sarwar the PTI would vote for the PPP candidate for the Senate chairman.

However, he said the PPP had not given any response as yet.

On the other hand, negotiations with PML-Q were held twice in Lahore and Gujrat last week but could not produce any result.

PTI MPA Arif Abbasi told Dawn that the party did not have the requisite number for Senate election but was trying hard to get at least one seat from Punjab.

He said the party had selected the right man for the Senate elections and if the PTI got the support of the PML-Q, PPP and independents it would manage to win the seat.

He said the party leaders met Manzoor Watto in Lahore last week but the talks could not make any breakthrough. He said talks with PML-Q were also in progress. When contacted, PML-Q leader Raja Mohammad Basharat said the PTI had contacted his party but the PML-Q sought support for Kamil Ali Agha.

“As the opposition has less number of MPAs, all the opposition parties had to field joint candidates.”

He said Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain had also tried to convince the PPP and other opposition parties to field joint candidates. “We are also negotiating with PPP for a seat in Punjab,” he said.

Published in Dawn, February 18th, 2018