ISLAMABAD: With Senate elections less than three weeks away, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) Thursday announced the schedule for the polls scheduled to be held on April 2.
The development follows ECP's announcement regarding the holding of elections for 48 vacant seats of the upper house after the lawmakers' six-year term expired on March 11.
A total of 52 senators retired earlier this week, however, the elections would only be held on 48 seats as 4 reserved seats for the erstwhile federally administered tribal areas (Fata) had been abolished after the 25th Constitutional amendment.
Members of Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Sindh and Punjab assemblies would vote to elect members against seven general seats, two women and two seats for technocrats, including Ulema.
Punjab and Sindh assemblies would also vote for one seat each for non-Muslims.
Meanwhile, members of the National Assembly will elect a senator for one general seat and one seat for technocrats, including Ulema from the federal capital, it added.
As per the ECP's schedule,
March 15 to 16 — Submission of nomination papers.
March 17 — Publication of nominated candidates.
March 19 — Last date for scrutiny of nomination papers.
March 21 — Last date for filing of appeals against acceptance, rejection of nominations.
March 25 — Last date for disposal of appeals by the tribunal.
March 26 — Publication of revised list of candidates.
March 27 — Date for withdrawal of candidature.
April 2 — Polling day.
The polling for the Senate elections will be conducted in Islamabad's Parliament House, as well as all four provincial assemblies from 9am to 4pm.
Last week, the electoral body appointed returning officers (ROs) in Islamabad and the four provinces for the conduct of the Senate election.
ECP Director General Training Saeed Gul will be the Returning Officer (RO) in the federal capital, whereas provincial election commissioners Aijaz Anwar Chohan, Sharifullah, Shamshad Khan, and Muhammad Farid Afridi will be returning officers in Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Balochistan, respectively.
The electoral body's schedule comes as by-polls for six Senate seats are underway for seats vacated from Sindh, Balochistan and Islamabad due to the prohibition of dual membership for lawmakers under Article 223 of the Constitution.
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