ISLAMABAD: PTI on Monday issued its party ticket to former minister of state Dr Shahzad Waseem for contesting the upcoming by-election on a vacant Senate seat from Punjab.

The seat became vacant last week when PTI’s Chaudhry Mohammad Sarwar resigned before taking charge as governor Punjab.

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) is yet to announce the schedule for the election in which members of the Punjab Assembly will cast their votes.

The nomination letter issued by the party, which carries the signature of party chairman Imran Khan says: “The PTI has nominated Mr Shahzad Waseem for Senate seat (Punjab General) to contest the Senate by-election 2018 from its platform. The returning officer, as appointed by the ECP, is requested that he may be allotted the party symbol”.

Soon after his nomination, Dr Waseem thanked the prime minister on his official Twitter account for nominating him as the party candidate.

“I am grateful to my leader Prime Minister Imran Khan for reposing confidence in me for Senate ticket. I will do my best to come up to expectations and will continue to play my role for the cause of Naya Pakistan,” he tweeted.

Dr Waseem is a senior PTI member and has served as advisor to Imran Khan on foreign political parties’ relations. He was elected senator on the PML-Q ticket from 2002 to 2008 and later served as minister of state for interior in former prime minister Shaukat Aziz’ cabinet during the military regime of Gen Pervez Musharraf.

Chaudhry Sarwar was the only senator elected on the PTI ticket in March this year and he surprised many by winning a general seat from Punjab by securing the maximum number of 44 votes among the victorious candidates belonging to PML-N.

Chaudhry Sarwar’s win had put in question the fairness of the elections and the PML-N had alleged that the PTI candidate had used money to secure his victory.

The PML-N had later formed two committees to hold an inquiry and reportedly identified 28 of its MPAs, mostly women, who had allegedly voted for PTI and PPP candidates.

However, the situation has completely changed as the PTI formed the government in the country’s largest province after the July 25 elections and given the party’s position in Punjab, it seems that Dr Waseem will easily win the seat.

PTI has also awarded its ticket to Shahzad Qureshi for the by-election on a Sindh Assembly seat for PS-111, Karachi.

The seat was vacated by Imran Ismael when he took charge as governor Sindh.

Published in Dawn, September 18th, 2018