Dr Sania’s Senate seat notified as vacant after much delay

ISLAMABAD: After an inordinate delay of months, the Senate seat of former member of federal cabinet during PTI government, Dr Sania Nishtar, was finally declared vacant.

The Senate Secretariat issued a notification concerning the development and said, “Senator Sania Nishtar, member Senate of Pakistan, has resigned her seat by writing under her hand addressed to the Chairman Senate. Consequently, her seat has become vacant in terms of clause (1) of Article 64 of the Constitution… with effect from March 10”.

Accordingly, a copy of the notification, besides others has also been sent to Chief Election Commissioner for taking steps to fill the vacant Senate seat.

The notification on Sania Nishtar resignation comes days after Leader of Opposition in the Senate, Syed Shibli Faraz, raised the matter during the last back-to-back two sittings, pointing out that the resignation of Senator Muhammad Qasim was accepted and poll schedule to fill the seat was announced immediately, as it suited the government. He continued that their (PTI) Senator Sania Nishtar had resigned back in October, but the related notification was not yet issued and poll schedule not released.

Elected to the Senate from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the 2021 Senate elections, Dr Nishtar is currently serving as the chief executive officer (CEO) of Gavi, a vaccine alliance.