The candidate of PML-N, Rana Sanaullah, was elected senator from the Punjab headquarters during a by-election, obtaining 250 votes. In total, 251 votes were expressed, one, one, according to unofficial results.
The election appeared unilateral after Pakistan Tehreek-e-insaf (PTI) boycotted the electoral process, warning its members that participation would go against parties.
The opposition had aligned Salma Ijaz, wife of the former head of the PTI Ejaz Chaudhry.
The headquarters fell vacant following the disqualification of Chaudhry after an anti-terrorism court sentenced him to 10 years in prison during the May 9 riot business.
Read: Bananas vs embedded grapes in the National Assembly today
On September 8, the High Court of Lahore, while hearing a plea deposited on behalf of Ejaz Chaudhry contesting his disqualification and the issuance of the elections calendar by the Pakistan Electoral Commission (ECP), ordered that “the Additional Impute notification process could continue, however, its fate should be subject to this petition”.
Rana Sanaullah had previously challenged the general elections of February 8 of Faisalabad but did not win a seat of the National Assembly.
He was Minister of the Interior at the last government of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) and also held the portfolio of the Minister of Law twice under Shehbaz Sharif as chief minister of Punjab.
The siege of Punjab is part of a Senate comprising 363 members in nine political parties. PML-N hold a majority with 229 members, while other parties include the Sunni Ittehad council (73), PTI (24), PPPP (16), Pakistan Muslim League (11) (1). PML-N said it was supporting more than 260 members.
PMLN said it was supported by more than 260 members.
