PESHAWAR: In a setback for the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) Wednesday rejected the nomination papers of senior leaders Murad Saeed and Azam Swati — party’s nominees from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on general and technocract seats, respectively — for the upcoming Senate elections.
Furthermore, the ECP has also rejected Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf-Parliamentarians (PTI-P) leader Mahmood Khan’s nomination papers dealing a blow to the former chief minister’s bid to join the upper house.
As per the final list of candidates issued by the electoral body, nomination papers for 30 candidates from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have been approved for the Senate polls of which 16 are for general seats, eight for technocrat and six for women’s seats.
The development comes as the electoral body is set to hold elections for 48 seats of the upper house on April 2 which were vacated after the expiration of the six-year term of the incumbent senators on March 11.
Members of Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Sindh and Punjab assemblies would vote to elect members against seven general seats, two women and two seats for technocrats, including Ulema. Punjab and Sindh assemblies would also vote for one seat each for non-Muslims.
Meanwhile, members of the National Assembly will elect a senator for one general seat and one seat for technocrats, including Ulema from the federal capital, it added. –Agencies
