Senate elections due on March 3

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) Thursday issued the schedule for the upcoming Senate elections, according to which, polling will be held on March 3 to elect new members of the Upper House of Parliament upon retirement of 52 senators on March 11.

According to the schedule, the candidates can submit nomination papers by February 12 and 13, at the offices of the returning officers. The list of nominated candidates will be posted on February 14, 2021. The schedule has been announced while a big question mark looms on the mode of conduct of election to be adopted.

The government has already promulgated a presidential ordinance for open ballot and has sought guideline from the Supreme Court of Pakistan on this count. It has also maintained that the decision of the apex court would be respected and implemented over the conduct of Senate elections whether or not through open ballot.

The scrutiny of nomination papers will be held from February 15 to 16, 2021 in the offices of the returning officers. The last date for appeals to the tribunal against the decisions of the returning officers (ROs) is February 18, 2021, while the last date for their disposal is February 20, 2021. The revised list of candidates will be posted on February 21 in light of the tribunal's decision. The date for withdrawal of nomination papers is February 22, 2021. The final list of candidates will be posted on February 23, 2021.

After the release of the final list of candidates, no candidate can withdraw from the contest till 12 noon on March 2, 2021. The polling for the Senate election will take place on March 3, 2021. Through a notification, issued here, the ECP has called upon the members of the National Assembly to elect member of the Senate against one general seat and one women seat for the Federal Capital. Likewise, the members of the provincial assemblies have been called upon to elect members against seven general seats and two women seats and two technocrats, including Ulema from each province i.e. Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan and one seat for non-Muslims from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which are going to become vacant after expiry of the term of incumbent senators on March 11.

Returning officers appointed for this purpose include: Federal Capital: Zafar Iqbal Hussain, Special Secretary, Election Commission Secretariat, Islamabad. Punjab Province: Ghulam Israr Khan, Provincial Election Commissioner Punjab, Office 10 Court Street, Lahore. Sindh Province: Ejaz Anwar Chauhan, Provincial Election Commissioner Sindh, Office Block No. 44-A, Shahra-e-Iraq, Karachi. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: Sharifullah, Provincial Election Commissioner Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Peshawar Golf Club, Gate No. 2 Shami Road, Peshawar Cantt. Balochistan Province: Muhammad Raziq, Provincial Election Commissioner Balochistan. Office Bergenza Villas, Street No. 1 near Zargun Road, Quetta. The Election Commission has once again reminded the political parties to issue official party certificates to their nominees so they can be attached to the nomination papers by the candidates.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court (SC) on Thursday adjourned hearing on the presidential reference, seeking an opinion on open balloting for the upcoming Senate elections till Monday. A five-member SC larger bench, comprising Chief Justice of Pakistan Gulzar Ahmed, Justice Mushir Alam, Justice Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Ijazul Ahsan and Justice Yahya Afridi, heard the reference.

During the course of proceedings, Chief Justice of Supreme Court Justice Gulzar Ahmed directed the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to continue the process of holding Senate elections according to the announced schedule. The court remarked that the judgment, regarding holding of Senate polls through open or secret ballot, would be announced before the Senate elections.

Justice Yahya Afridi questioned Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) Khalid Jawad Khan what was the need to file Presidential reference. The AGP said that the schedule of Senate elections would be issued today (Thursday) and the Senate elections would be held according to the amendment made under the ordinance. Justice Ijazul Ahsan remarked that the government would abide by the opinion of the court in the presence of earlier judgement.

During the course of proceedings, Attorney General for Pakistan said the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) had changed its position but he had the same stance. The local bodies elections were held under provincial laws and the Election Act, he added. Justice Bandial said the local bodies elections were held under the Local Government Act. The Attorney General said that the Constitution and the law provided a complete mechanism for local government elections. He said he was the PPP’s lawyer in the local body elections case being contested in the Sindh High Court. The court had asked for an amendment in the Sindh Local Government Act, he added. He said that the Election Act 2017 was totally silent on challenging elections under the Constitution.

On the other hand PML-N, PPP and Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) also filed petitions to become party to the presidential reference and pleaded to dismiss the Presidential reference. Meanwhile, a counsel of the Election Commission of Pakistan informed the court that the ECP had issued the schedule of the Senate elections.