Election to 48 Senate seats on April 2

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan on Monday issued the schedule for the Senate elections, fixing April 2 as the polling day to elect 48 senators.

The electoral body said it had completed preparations for the conduct of Senate elections.

It noted that 52 senators were retiring on completion of their six-year term. However, it clarified that there would be no election for the four senators from ex-Fata, who were also retiring after the region was merged with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in 2018 by virtue of the 25th constitutional amendment. Hence, election would be held to elect 48 senators.

In this connection, nomination papers could be obtained from the ECP Secretariat and four provincial election commissioners’ offices of Punjab, Sindh, KP and Balochistan. Candidates would be able to submit their nomination papers to the relevant returning officers, who had already been notified.

Polling would be held to elect members against seven general seats, two women, two seats for technocrats, including Ulema and one seat for non-Muslims from Sindh and Punjab.

In addition to this, lawmakers from KP and Balochistan would elect members against seven general seats, two women and two seats for technocrats, including Ulema.

Members of the National Assembly will elect one general seat and one seat for technocrats, including Ulema from the federal capital, it added.

A day earlier, the ECP appointed returning officers (ROs) in Islamabad and the four provinces for the conduct of the Senate election.

In addition to this, the by-election on six vacant seats of the Senate will be held on Thursday (March 14).

According to the election regulator, polling will be held at the Upper House of Parliament as well as at Sindh and Balochistan assemblies in Karachi and Quetta.

These seats in the general category fell vacant in the federal capital, two in Sindh and three in Balochistan as senators relinquished their seats, following their election as members of the National Assembly as well as provincial assemblies of Sindh and Balochistan.

Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani and Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri have joined the Lower House of Parliament after winning the recently concluded general elections.

Similarly, Nisar Ahmed Khoro and Jam Mehtab Hussain Dahar were elected to the Sindh Assembly, whereas Prince Ahmed Umer Ahmedzai and Sarfaraz Ahmed Bugti became members of the Balochistan Assembly.

Besides, Leader of the House Ishaq Dar and Leader of the Opposition Dr Shahzad Waseem, Mushtaq Ahmad, Tahir Bizenjo, Mushahid Hussain Sayed, Maula Bux Chandio, Syed Muzaffar Hussain, Behramand Tangi, Faisal Javed, Azam Swati and Musadik Malik are among the male members of the Senate bowing out.

Similarly, among female senators, retiring on completion of their term, include Prof Mehar Taj Roghani, Rukhsana Zuberi, Rubina Khalid, Nuzhat Sadiq and Keshoo Bai. It expected that some of the retiring legislators would return to the House next month.

Meanwhile, Senate ex-chairman Mian Raza Rabbani said that the Upper House of Parliament is set to become dysfunctional from March 12 (today), following the slots of chairman and deputy chairman falling vacant.

Though the three-year term of Muhammad Sadiq Sanjrani as chairman was to end on March 11 midnight, he opted to take oath as MPA Balochistan Assembly last week, whereas Deputy Chairman Mirza Muhammad Afridi also retired on completion of his term.

“The Senate will become dysfunctional from March 12, 2024, because of the fact that according to the Constitution, half of the Senate will be going up for re-election. The other reasons are a strange set of coincidences that are taking place,” remarked Rabbani, whose term is also exhausting on March 11 midnight.

When approached by The News for a comment on the emerging scenario, concerning the Senate, he explained first reason of the House becoming dysfunctional was that the chairman’s term is also expiring; secondly, the deputy chairman is also retiring. “Therefore, both slots of the chairman and deputy chairman are also vacant. There will be no presiding officer around,” he noted.

Rabbani, a noted constitutional expert, pointed out that in normal circumstances, when things are running in accordance with the Constitution, and the schedule of the Senate’s parliamentary year, which starts on March 12, this is not an issue, as the new senators take oath on this date and same day, the new chairman and deputy chairman are also elected.

But, he continued, in the instant case, owing to the fact that the Senate’s electoral college, the provincial assemblies, were not complete to elect senators before March 12, this anomaly has occurred. He said that this anomaly could occur again, if not addressed.

Asked who was to be blamed for this situation, and what was or could have been the way out, Rabbani said the way out was that if from day one, when the assemblies were dissolved, the Constitution should have been followed in letter and spirit, then this situation would have not arisen.