Senate of Pakistan

Senate of Pakistan House of the Federation
List of senators of Pakistan
Type
Type	Upper house of the Parliament of Pakistan
Term limits	6 years
History
Founded	1973 (1973)
Leadership
Chairman of the Senate of Pakistan	Yusuf Raza Gillani, PPP since 9 April 2024
Deputy Chairman of the Senate of Pakistan	Syedaal Khan Nasar, PMLN since 9 April 2024
Leader of the House in the Senate of Pakistan	Ishaq Dar, PMLN since 9 April 2024
Leader of the Opposition (Pakistan)	Raja Nasir Abbas Jafri, MWM since 19 January 2026
Structure
Seats	96
Political groups	Government Alliance (63)   PPP (26)   PMLN (20)   BAP (4)   MQM-P (3)   ANP (3)   NP (1)   PML(Q) (1)   Independent (5) Opposition Alliance (30)   PTI (14)   JUI (F) (7)   MWM (1)   SIC (1)   Independent (7) Vacant (2)
Elections
Voting system	Indirect single transferable vote
Last election	2 April 2024 (37 seats)
Next election	2027 (48 seats)
Meeting place
Senate Secretariat Parliament Building Red Zone Islamabad, Pakistan
Website
www.senate.gov.pk

Senate of Pakistan, functions as the upper house, and constitutional House of the Federation within the country's bicameral parliamentary system, with the National Assembly constituting the lower house. As the institutional representative of Pakistan's federating units at the national level, the Senate maintains a maximum membership of 96 senators elected through single transferable vote by provincial legislatures, 23 senators from each province and four representing the federal capital territory.

Senators serve six-year terms in a staggered system where half the membership faces election every three years, ensuring continuity as the Senate constitutes a continuing chamber not subject to dissolution. Since its first convening in 1973, the Senate's composition and powers have been constitutionally established under Article 59 of the Constitution of Pakistan. Each province receives equal representation with 23 senators regardless of population, while Islamabad Capital Territory is represented by four senators.

The Senate secretariat operates from the east wing of the Parliament Building, with the National Assembly convening in the west wing of the same structure. The Senate possesses several exclusive powers not conferred upon the National Assembly, including legislative authority for parliamentary bills to become law. The Constitution explicitly prohibits the dissolution of the Senate, maintaining its continuous existence as a permanent legislative body.

Current members

Main article: List of senators of Pakistan

Composition

Province/Territory	General seats	Technocrats/Ulema	Women	Non-Muslim	Total
Balochistan	14	4	4	1	23
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa	14	4	4	1	23
Sindh	14	4	4	1	23
Punjab	14	4	4	1	23
Islamabad Capital Territory	2	1	1	-	4
Total	58	17	17	4	96

• FATA merged with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa through 25th amendment. The amendment reduces the members in Senate from 104 to 100 in 2021 and ultimately to 96 in 2024. Current members representing FATA will continue to serve till 2024 (half retired in 2021). After 2024, FATA will have no separate Senators.
• Four seats for non-Muslims increased through the Constitution (Eighteenth Amendment) Act, 2010 (Act No. X of 2010).

Appointment

(1) The Senate shall consist of 96 members, of whom:

(a) 14 shall be elected by the members of each Provincial Assembly;

(c) two on general seats, and one woman and one technocrat including Aalim shall be elected from the Federal Capital in such manner as the President may, by Order, and by law prescribe;

(d) four women shall be elected by the members of each Provincial Assembly;

(e) four technocrats including ulema shall be elected by the members of each Provincial Assembly.

(f) one seat in the senate is reserved for minorities in each province."

(2) Election to fill seats in the Senate allocated to each Province shall be held in accordance with the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote.

(3) The Senate shall not be subject to dissolution but the term of its members of parliaments, who shall retire as follows, shall be six years:-

(a) of the members referred to in paragraph (a) of clause (1), seven shall retire after the expiration of the first three years and seven shall retire after the expiration of the next three years.

(b) of the members referred to in paragraph (c) of the aforesaid clause,-

(i) one elected on general seat shall retire after the expiration of the first three years and the other one shall retire after the expiration of the next three years, and

(ii) one elected on the seat reserved for technocrat shall retire after first three years and the one elected on the seat reserved for woman shall retire after the expiration of the next three years;

(c) of the members referred to in paragraph (d) of the aforesaid clause, two shall retire after the expiration of the three years and two shall retire after the expiration of the next three years; and

(d) of the members referred to in paragraph (e) of the aforesaid clause, two shall retire after the expiration of the first three years and two shall retire after the expiration of the next three years: Provided that the term of office of a person elected to fill a casual vacancy shall be the unexpired term of the member whose vacancy he has filled.