ECP issues Senate election schedule today

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) Secretary Babar Yaqoob Fateh Muhammad on Thursday said that schedule for the Senate of Pakistan elections would be issued on Friday. Since the Elections Act, 2017, could not be extended to the Federal Capital and the Tribal Areas, therefore, the schedule for these regions could not be issued on Friday.

Talking to media here, he said Senate elections would be held as per schedule and training of polling staff had already been completed by the ECP. Babar Yaqoob pointed out that the Election Commission had written to the government on January 2 for extension of the act to Islamabad and Fata. However, the schedule for the four provincial assemblies would be issued accordingly on February 2.

He said that printing of Senate elections material had been started while the ECP was working to finalise all necessary arrangements for holding of elections. The Election Commission of Pakistan has set the date of March 3 for Senate elections. The public notice informing the candidates about acquiring and submission of applications would be issued on February 3.

Nomination papers will be acquired from the offices of returning officers concerned (during office timings) from February 4 to February 6. Scrutiny of the nomination papers would be carried by February 9.

The list of contesting candidates would be issued on February 15 while nomination papers can be withdrawn till February 16. Polling for electing senators would be held on March 3. The tenure of 52 senators from four provinces, the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) and Islamabad is going to expire on March 11 after completion of their six-year term in the upper house of parliament.