Senate polls to be held on March 3

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has issued the schedule for the Senate election to be held on March 3 to fill 52 vacant seats.Political parties, having enough representation in the National Assembly and the four provincial legislatures, are yet to draw up their strategies for the upcoming polls.
The parties are expected to convene meetings of their bodies concerned to short-list the candidates. However, it goes without saying that the ruling PML-N will significantly add to its tally of senators after the polls while the PPP and ANP will be among the major losers in terms of number of their senators retiring in March.
Half of the Upper House of Parliament will become vacant, as 32 senators will bow out on completion of their terms.According to the schedule, nomination papers will be received on February 12 and 13 and their scrutiny will be held on February 16 and 17.
Hearing for and against acceptance of nomination papers will be held on February 20 and 21 while candidates will be free to withdraw their nomination papers on February 25. On the same day, the final list of candidates will be released.
Among those retiring on March 11 are the Senate Chairman Syed Nayyar Hussain Bokhari, Leader of the House Raja Muhammad Zafarul Haq, Haji Muhammad Adeel, Mushahidullah Khan, Afrasiab Khattak, Ch. Shujaat Hussain, Abdur Rehman Malik, Muhammad Zahid Khan and Pervaiz Rashid.