Balochistan Awami Party’s (BAP) Manzoor Ahmed Kakar on Monday won the Senate election held on a vacated seat, according to unofficial and unverified results. The seat was vacated after the demise of Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party’s legislator Sardar Azam Musakhail. Manzoor Ahmed Kakar secured as many as 38 votes while Balochistan National Party (Mengal)’s (BNP) Ghulam Nabi Mari was the close second with 23 votes in the polling held at the Balochistan provincial assembly. The polling was held amid strict security measures taken by police and FC personnel.
The BNP-Mengal had threatened to take back its support from the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf-led coalition if it does not support the party in the by-election.
Balochistan Assembly has seven members, BAP has 24 members and BNP-Mengal has 10 members in the provincial house.
Published in Daily Times, January 15th 2019.
