Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's ruling party appeared on track to strengthen its representation in parliament after elections to the upper house.
The opposition Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) currently holds a majority in the 104-seat Senate, while Sharif’s ruling Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) holds a majority in the lower house of parliament.
Unofficial results from a March 5 vote by national and provincial lawmakers suggest the PML-N won 18 seats in the Senate, out of the 48 contested, while the PPP won eight seats.
Overall, the PML-N was on track to increase its number of senators to 26, while the PPP’s representation was due to fall to 27 seats.
An almost equal representation of the two parties in the upper house of the National Assembly would mean the positions of chairman and deputy chairman of the chamber are expected to be hotly contested.
Official results had been expected late on March 5 but were delayed.
With reporting by Reuters and dawn.com
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