The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) was able to win a third reserved seat for women in the National Assembly from the Punjab on Saturday after its candidate Beelum Husnain won a draw.
The PPP and the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) had equal number of points (highest fraction) for a National Assembly seat reserved for women. The points are calculated to determine the quota for reserved seats a party will get on the basis of general seats won by them in the National Assembly.
On Saturday, the returning officer for reserved seats from the Punjab Mehboob Anwar conducted a draw between PPP’s Husnain and PML-Q’s Tanzeela Amir Cheema. The draw was overseen by Justice (retired) Riaz Kiyani, a member of the Punjab Election Commission.
Pieces of paper with the names of the two candidates were shown to all those present in the room, folded and placed in a transparent container. A person, picked at random, was asked by Kiyani to draw and read out the name of party and its nominee who had won. The paper was then shown to all those present.
Cheema appeared in person while Husnain had sent an authorised representative to attend the draw on her behalf. Azizur Rehman Chan and Raja Basharat were the authorised representatives from the PPP and PML-Q respectively.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 2nd, 2013.