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Bloomberg
Pakistan’s ruling party became the largest group in the Senate during a closed-door election, strengthening its hand before national polls in July despite legal setbacks and corruption proceedings against its leader Nawaz Sharif.
Final results from the Election Commission show candidates affiliated with the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz won 15 seats, taking their total to 33 in the 104-strong Senate, elected by lawmakers for six-year terms. The largest opposition group, the Pakistan Peoples Party, led-by former president Asif Ali Zardari and his son Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, gained 12 seats for a combined 20. A total of 135 candidates contested the 52 seats up for grabs.
The PML-N, which has a majority in the lower house of Parliament, has suffered multiple blows in the past year. Sharif was first disqualified as prime minister last July by the Supreme Court following an investigation into his family’s business. Last month the top judges also barred him from leading his party and as a consequence the Election Commission nullified his candidate choices for the Senate ballot, forcing them to run as independents. That mattered little with the Sharif family still wielding total control over party members.
Contrary to some expectations, Sharif has managed to prevent defections despite the criminal charges.