Sadiq Sanjrani has emerged as the winner of the Senate chairman election, defeating Opposition candidate Yousaf Raza Gillani.

Amid a raging controversy over the alleged sale and purchase of votes and allegations flying thick and heavy between the Opposition and the government, the knife-edge elections for the posts of Senate chairman and deputy chairman were held today (Friday).

Polling for the Senate chairman's post started at 3:00pm, presided over by officials from the Senate Secretariat. The process of voting completed at 4:40 pm, but counting started after the official time, i.e. 5:00pm. 

Earlier in the day, the newly-elected members of the Upper House had taken their oath of office shortly after the session began at 10:00am. 

PTI's Sadiq Sanjrani and Mirza Muhammad Afridi, and the joint opposition’s Yousaf Raza Gillani and Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri are contesting for the slots of Senate chairman and deputy chairman, respectively.