Independent candidate Abdul Qadir elected as senator from Balochistan

Independent candidate Abdul Qadir has been elected as senator from the general seat in Balochistan, unofficial results.

Qadir was initially fielded by the PTI but it his candidacy was withdrawn after resistance from the ruling federal party.

Qadir told media that he had secured support from the PTI MPAs about his election.

According to political commentators, Abdul Qadir was being backed by none other than Prime Minister Imran Khan and that PTI MPAs were advised to vote for him.

JUI-F’s Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri has also been elected from from Balochistan, according to unofficial results.

BNP-M’s candidate Qasim Ronjho has also emerged victorious on a general Senate seat in Balochistan.

According to reports, PPP’s Palwasha Khan has been elected senator on a general Senate seat in Sindh.

Vote count was under way after daylong polling process which took place from 9am to 5pm.

All the 65 members of the Balochistan Assembly have cast their votes.

The last vote was cast by Mir Hamal Kalmati of the BNP. In Sindh, 167 out of 168 members cast their votes, while Jamaat-e-Islami member Abdul Rashid did not cast his vote.

The MPs were required to vote for 37 vacant seats of the Senate with 11 senators elected unopposed from Punjab. Polling was held for 12 seats each of Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 11 of Sindh and two of the federal capital.

MPAs from the three provincial assemblies cast their vote for the candidates fielded from Balochistan, KP and Sindh, while MNAs voted for the representatives from the federal capital.

The results are expected to be announced at 6pm for Islamabad seats while in other assemblies the winning candidates would be announced around 7pm.