Raza Rabbani, Abdul Ghafoor Haideri elected Senate chairman, deputy chairman

ISLAMABAD (92 News) – Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Raza Rabbani and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl’s (JUI-F) Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri were elected the Senate chairman and deputy chairman respectively on Thursday. Raza Rabbani was elected unopposed, while Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri bagged 74 votes to defeat PTI’s Shibli Faraz. However, Jahanzeb Jamal Deeni withdrew his nomination papers before the vote. Later, Federal Finance Minister Ishaq Dar administered the oath to Raza Rabbani and Abdul Ghafoor Haideri as chairman and deputy chairman of the Senate. “I hope to come up to the expectations of those who have bestowed on me this enormous responsibility,” said Rabbani before the oath-taking ceremony. It is for the first time in history that the chairman Senate soon after taking oath will take charge as the acting president, as Mamnoon Hussain is on a foreign visit to Azerbaijan. Earlier, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif congratulated Raza Rabbani and Abdul Ghafoor Haideri on their success. The prime minister said that the PML-N believes in the politics of reconciliation. “The election of Raza Rabbani will strengthen democracy.” Meanwhile, the PML-N has appointed Raja Zafarul Haq as the parliamentary leader in the Senate.