The term of half of the 100 members of the Senate expired on 11 March 2012. To fill in the seats being vacated by 50 senators who completed their 6-year tenure and four seats reserved for non-Muslims under the 18th Constitutional Amendment, an election for the Senate was held on 2 March 2012. Nine candidates returned unopposed.
Returned candidates on 2 March 2012
|
Province/area |
General seats |
Seats reserved for women |
Seats reserved for technocrats/ulema |
Seats reserved for non-Muslims |
| Federal Capital |
1 |
– |
1 |
– |
| Punjab |
– |
2 |
2 |
1 |
| Sindh |
– |
– |
2 |
– |
The polling for the remaining 45 seats was held in Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar and Quetta. Most of the seats were won by political parties as expected. However, in Punjab PPP lost one seat to an independent candidate. This candidate belonged to PML-N but the party did not award him a ticket so his nomination paper was rejected by the Returning Officer on this ground. His appeal was allowed by the ECP and he contested the elections as an independent candidate.
Seats obtained by the political parties and independents in the March 2012 election
|
Party |
Federal Capital |
FATA |
Punjab |
Sindh |
KP |
Balochistan |
Total |
| PPP |
1 |
– |
3 |
7 |
4 |
4 |
19 |
| PML-N |
– |
– |
7 |
– |
1 |
– |
8 |
| ANP |
– |
– |
– |
– |
6 |
1 |
7 |
| PML-Q |
1 |
– |
1 |
– |
– |
2 |
4 |
| MQM |
– |
– |
– |
4 |
– |
– |
4 |
| JUI-F |
– |
– |
– |
– |
1 |
3 |
4 |
| BNP-Awami |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
2 |
2 |
| PML-F |
– |
– |
– |
1 |
– |
– |
1 |
| Independents |
– |
4 |
1 |
– |
– |
– |
5 |
After the 2012 Senate election, PPP emerged as the largest party in the Senate having 41 senators (22 existing and 19 newly elected). The ruling party, along with its coalition partners, now has a two-thirds majority in the Senate. Most of the independents traditionally go with the ruling party.
Final party position in 2012 Senate
|
Party |
Existing senators |
New senators |
Total senators |
| PPP |
22 |
19 |
41 |
| PML-N |
6 |
8 |
14 |
| ANP |
5 |
7 |
12 |
| MQM |
3 |
4 |
7 |
| JUI-F |
3 |
4 |
7 |
| PML-Q |
1 |
4 |
5 |
| BNP-A |
2 |
2 |
4 |
| NP |
1 |
0 |
1 |
| PML-F |
0 |
1 |
1 |
| Independents |
7 |
5 |
12 |
| Total |
50 |
54 |
104 |
Senate in 2009 and in 2012
A major shift in strength of some of the political parties ensued as a result of the 2012 Senate election compared to the previous elections in 2009.
Comparative party position in Senate 2012 versus 2009
|
Party |
Seats in 2009 senate |
Seats in 2012 senate |
Difference |
| PPP |
27 |
41 |
+14 |
| PML-N |
7 |
14 |
+7 |
| PML-Q |
21 |
5 |
-16 |
| MQM |
6 |
7 |
+1 |
| ANP |
6 |
12 |
+6 |
| JUI-F |
4 |
7 |
+3 |
| BNP-Awami |
2 |
4 |
+2 |
| MMA (JUI-F and JI) |
9 |
– |
-9 |
| PML-F |
1 |
1 |
– |
| JWP |
1 |
– |
-1 |
| PKMAP |
1 |
– |
-1 |
| PPP-Sherpao |
1 |
– |
-1 |
| National Party |
1 |
1 |
– |
| Independents |
13 |
12 |
-1 |
Website of the Senate: www.senate.gov.pk
