n recent years, results of the Senate elections have highlighted a trend: the Upper House of the country’s parliament is a passage to power for those who enjoy the patronage of powerful quarters, eventually becoming its effective mouthpieces.

The Senate of Pakistan has become a forum any well-to-do person, who has strong connections with the establishment, can reach without much hard work. They can defeat representatives of popular parties despite their majorities in the assemblies. Over the last decade and a half the Senate elections have been replete with examples of establishment-backed candidates with little or no political support becoming senators and defeating some of the political heavyweights. This time, too, several independents or candidates from small political groups are contesting the elections. Many of them will easily win with the support of bigger political parties. A former caretaker prime minister, who enjoys support of the PML-N and the establishment, will easily grab a seat from Balochistan even though he belongs to the Balochistan Awami Party, a small group in the Balochistan Assembly.

Punjab’s former caretaker chief minister Mohsin Naqvi, now the Interior Minister and Pakistan Cricket Board chairman, has already been elected unopposed. Though he had submitted his papers as an independent candidate, the PML-N and the PPP members in the Punjab Assembly had proposed and seconded his name. The PML-Q and Istehkam-i-Pakistan Party too had announced their support to him. He is said to have close ties with President Asif Zardari, Chief of Army Staff Gen Syed Asim Munir and the Sharifs.

Likewise, a PTI dissident, Faisal Vawda has submitted his nomination papers from Sindh as an independent candidate. The Muttahida Qaumi Movement has announced its support for him, sacrificing its stalwart Rauf........

© The News on Sunday