Senate elections postponed till March 5

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) announced on Thursday that the Senate elections will now be held on March 5 instead of March 3.

According to sources, the postponement will allow the ECP more time for scrutiny of nomination papers.

Several more parties have announced their candidates as well as new alliances are surfacing.

Nomination papers for the polls will be submitted on February 12-13 while the scrutiny process will be held from February 16-17 and appeals will be heard from February 20-21.

Candidates for the elections will have till February 25 to withdraw their nomination papers.

Senate elections will be held on 11 seats each in Sindh and Punjab and 12 seats each in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Elections will also be held on four seats in Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) and two in Islamabad.