Pakistan Federal Minister Amir Muqam’s son Niaz becomes youngest senator

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader and Federal Minister for Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmir Affairs and States and Frontier Regions Amir Muqam’s son Niaz Ahmad was elected the youngest Senator on the general seat from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province.

Niaz Ahmed reached the upper house by with 19 votes on a general seat. Niaz Ahmad had also served as the district mayor of Shangla from 2015 to 2019.

Bahria University Alumni Association congratulated Niaz Ahmad on becoming the youngest senator. “A Proud Moment for Bahria University and Pakistan! Congratulations to Mr. Senator Niaz Ahmad Khan, a distinguished Bahria University alumnus (BBA Batch of 2013), on being elected as the Youngest Senator of Pakistan from Shangla, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,” Bahria University tweeted.

Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI)’s Murad Saeed, Faisal Javed, Mirza Afridi and Noor-ul Haq Qadri were elected as senators on general seats, according to official results from the poll body.

Murad Saeed received 26 votes, Mirza Afridi and Faisal Javed both bagged 22, and Noor-ul Haq Qadri 21. PTI’s Azam Swati was elected on a technocrat seat with 89 votes. Similarly, PTI’s Rubina Naz became a senator on a women’s seat with 89 votes.

PPP’s Talha Mehmood bagged a Senate seat with 18 votes. PPP’s Rubina Khalid was elected as a senator on women’s seat with 52 votes.

Following Monday’s election, the PML-N now holds 20 seats in the Senate, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has 26 seats and their allied parties and independents collectively hold 14 — bringing the total to 60, just four seats short of the required two-thirds majority. The PTI has twenty-two seats.

The PPP has emerged as the largest party in the Upper House. It already has its nominee, former prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, as the chairman of the Senate.

After prolonged delays, all 96 seats of the Senate will be filled by July 31, with Monday’s round of elections significantly shaping the political dynamics in the Upper House.

In the fresh election, eleven Senate seats from KP were contested. The PTI secured six seats, while the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) and the PPP won two seats each. One seat was claimed by the PML-N. Punjab’s single vacant seat also went to the PML-N.