-Announces polls will be held via secret ballot as per the ‘past practice’
-Assumes charge of National Assembly Hall
-341 lawmakers of NA set to cast vote
-37 Senators will be elected, twelve each from KP & Balochistan, eleven from Sindh, & two from Islamabad
-Punjab have elected candidates’ unopposed
By Ajmal Khan Yousafzai
ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) said on Tuesday that the Senate elections slated for March 3 (today) will be held through secret ballot as per the “past practice”.
The ECP decision came a day after the Supreme Court gave its opinion on the presidential reference, ruling that the elections for the upper house of Parliament have to be conducted through secret ballot as required under the Constitution.
An ECP meeting with Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja in the chair deliberated the SC opinion and decided to implement it in letter and spirit, according to a statement.
“The Commission is taking all possible steps and measures to fulfill its constitutional duty to check that corrupt practices in the Senate Elections are guarded against,” the ECP said.
“The Commission also decided that due to time constrain, ensuing Senate Election scheduled for 3rd March, 2021 will be conducted as provided in the Constitution and Law as per past practice.”
Moreover, the officials of the election commission (ECP) on Tuesday reached the Parliament House and assumed the charge of the National Assembly Hall.
The election officials reached the Parliament along with polling booths and the electoral material to make the National Assembly hall a polling station for the Senate election scheduled to be held today. The National Assembly will elect two senators on General and Women categories for Islamabad. The polling in the assembly will begin at 9:00 AM and continue till 5:00 PM.
The election staff has started preparations for the polling today (Wednesday).
It is pertinent to mention here that 341 lawmakers of the National Assembly (NA) will participate in voting for Senate elections. An interesting contest in the Senate poll being held between Abdul Hafeez Shaikh, the candidate of the ruling PTI and its coalition partners, and Pakistan People’s Party’s candidate Yousaf Raza Gillani, who is also being supported by the PML-N and other PDM component parties.
Moreover, Regional Election Commissioner Karachi Syed Nadeem Haider reached Sindh Assembly today for preparation of the Senate poll in Sindh.
Sindh Assembly has been declared polling station for the Senate polls.
It is to be mentioned here that total 37 senators will be elected in the Senate election today after all 11 senators in Punjab elected unopposed with five seats each to the PTI and PML-N and one seat to the PML-Q. The elections will be held for 11 seats in Sindh, 12 seats each in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan and two senate seats in Islamabad.
Moreover, with 37 seats of the upper house of Parliament up for grabs, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) is all set to hold the Senate elections today.
A total of 37 senators – 12 each from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, 11 from Sindh, and two from Islamabad – will get elected.
There will be no polling for the 11 seats from Punjab as all the candidates on seven general seats and two each reserved for women and technocrats have been elected unopposed after disqualification or withdrawal of papers by other contestants. The ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) and opposition Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) bagged five seats each, while the PML-Q got one seat. The members of the three provincial legislatures – Sindh, KP and Balochistan, and the members of the National Assembly will cast their votes.
