ECP appoints ROs for Senate elections next month

ISLAMABAD/KARACHI: On the eve of retirement of 52 members of the Senate, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) Sunday notified appointment of Returning Officers (ROs) for the elections of the vacant seats of the House.

Interestingly, the electoral body has not yet issued schedule for the electoral exercise for the Upper House of the Parliament. Muhammad Sadiq Sanjrani took oath as member of Balochistan Assembly Friday, whereas Deputy Chairman Mirza Muhammad Afridi will also be completing his six-year term today (Monday).

Though, according to Article 223 of the Constitution, Sanjrani was no more a senator from February 15 after the issuance of his victory notification as Balochistan Assembly member, he continued to use the chairman’s chamber, holding meetings and claiming the title of the Senate Chairman and issued statements.

“In pursuance of Section 105 of the Elections Act, 2017, read with Clause (3) of Article 224 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the ECP hereby appoints the following Returning Officers to conduct of Senate elections to fill one general seat and one seat for technocrats including Ulema from the Federal Capital,” the notification reads.

It says, “the Election Commission of Pakistan also calls upon the Members of Provincial Assemblies of the Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces to elect members against seven general seats, two women seats and two seats for technocrats including Ulema from each province and one seat for non-Muslims each from Punjab and Sindh provinces, which are going to be vacant after expiration of term of incumbent senators on 11th March, 2024…”.

The electoral process is expected to be conducted in the first week of April to fill one general seat and one seat for technocrats including Ulema from the federal capital. Saeed Gul, Director General (Training), ECP Secretariat, Islamabad, will act as returning officer for these two seats.

Similarly, Punjab Aijaz Anwer Chohan, Provincial Election Commissioner, will be returning officer in the province, Sharifullah, Provincial Election Commissioner, Sindh to act as returning officer in the province, Shamshad Khan, Provincial Election Commissioner to act as returning officer in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Muhammad Farid Afridi, Provincial Election Commissioner, will be returning officer in Balochistan.

The ECP has already announced the schedule for by-election, fixing March 14, to fill six Senate seats.

March 10 was the last date for withdrawal of candidatures; on the two general seats of Sindh, two candidates, belonging to PPP and one of the Sunni Itthed Council (SIC) withdrew their nominations.

Meanwhile, the by-elections to fill two vacant general seats in the Senate of Pakistan from Sindh will be held at the Sindh Assembly building on March 14 (Thursday), 2024 from 9 am to 4 pm.

The candidates of the Pakistan Peoples Party contesting the Senate by-elections are Jam Saifullah Khan Dharejo and Muhammad Aslam Abro. The candidates of the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) contesting the by-polls are Nazeerullah and Shazia Sohail.

On Sunday, the PPP’s covering candidates, Mukhtiar Ahmed Dhamrah Aajiz, Waqar Mehdi, and SIC’s covering candidate Jameel Ahmed announced their retirement from the by-polls.

The by-polls are being held to fill the Sindh-based seats in the Senate that became vacant after the PPP’s Senators Nisar Ahmed Khuhro and Jam Mehtab Dahar became members of the Sindh Assembly in the February 8 general elections.

Provincial Election Commissioner Sindh, Sharifullah, has been acting as the returning officer for the by-election. Earlier, the returning officer received the nomination papers from the candidates desirous to contest the by-elections till March 3.