ISLAMABAD: Abid Sher Ali elected unopposed to Senate on PML-N seat as the ruling Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz secured the general seat left vacant by the death of Senator Irfan Siddiqui, following the withdrawal of all rival candidates from the by-election process.
The Election Commission of Pakistan had earlier announced the by-election after the seat fell vacant earlier this month. Nomination papers were initially submitted by Rana Ihsan and Abdul Jabbar to contest against the PML-N nominee, but both candidates later withdrew their papers before polling, leaving Abid Sher Ali as the sole contender.
With no other political party entering the race, the unopposed election cleared the way for Sher Ali’s return to the upper house of parliament without the need for voting.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif congratulated Abid Sher Ali on the victory and extended his best wishes for the responsibilities of the new term. The prime minister said the ruling party’s political progress reflected continued public confidence in its governance and development policies. He also expressed confidence that Sher Ali would play a positive role in strengthening parliamentary performance and national development efforts.
Abid Sher Ali is a seasoned politician from Faisalabad and has remained an active figure within the PML-N for over two decades. Born on November 21, 1971, he belongs to a prominent political family and is the son of former Faisalabad mayor and senior PML-N leader Chaudhry Sher Ali.
His political career includes multiple stints in the National Assembly, where he remained a member from 2002 to 2018. During this period, he held several key parliamentary roles, particularly in energy and infrastructure-related sectors which remained central to his political identity.
From 2013 to 2017, he served as Minister of State for Water and Power, and later from August 2017 to May 2018, he served as Minister of State for Power. His tenure remained closely linked with electricity distribution reforms, energy transmission issues, and load management policies.
Sher Ali has also chaired the Standing Committee on Education and remained a member of important parliamentary committees including privatisation and investment, youth affairs, and water and power. His long association with policy oversight bodies has kept him involved in legislative scrutiny and reform processes.
Politically, Sher Ali is known as a close aide of the PML-N central leadership and maintains strong organisational influence in Faisalabad, a key political battleground of Punjab. His unopposed return to the Senate reflects both party strength in the electoral college and the absence of an active challenge from opposition benches in this particular contest.
The Senate seat he now occupies had remained vacant after the passing of senior journalist-turned-politician Senator Irfan Siddiqui, whose death earlier this month prompted the Election Commission to begin the by-election process.
With this development, the PML-N further consolidates its presence in the upper house at a time when the government is navigating legislative business related to the budget, judicial matters, and economic reforms.
Sher Ali’s return is expected to reinforce the ruling party’s voting strength in the Senate, particularly on upcoming legislative agenda items and constitutional matters, as the political landscape continues to evolve ahead of the next phase of parliamentary activity.
