Senate elections for FATA seats postponed

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan postponed the Senate elections for FATA seats on Thursday after a suspension of polling process since morning.

The ECP had consulted the Attorney General (AG) with regards to rescheduling it as Chief Election Commissioner Justice Sardar Raza Khan also chaired a high level meeting of ECP to come to a final decision.

Earlier today, FATA Returning Officer (RO) Usman Ali had filed a request to postpone the polling.

The suspension since morning came in the wake of a late night presidential ordinance which restricted MNAs from FATA to just one vote instead of four votes.

Sources said that FATA members were divided into two, for and against the new ordinance.

According to the Secretary Election Commission, Sher Afghan, the polling process would only continue after the confusion over the new SRO was removed.

The ECP also consulted the Law Ministry with regards to the overnight presidential decree.

President Mamnoon Hussain signed an ordinance on FATA Regulations, altering the rules for Senate elections to replace the presidential ordinance on FATA regulations issued in 2002.

With the National Assembly session prorogued on March 3, the government waited till past midnight to issue the ordinance.