ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has extended the date for submission of nomination papers for the Senate elections till Monday.
According to a press statement, the date has been extended to facilitate the candidates.
As per the revised schedule, the list of contesting candidates will now be published on Tuesday (February 16).
The scrutiny of the nomination papers will take place on February 17 and 18, followed by the filing of appeals against any acceptance or rejection of nominations which will be done by February 20.
In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, the commission will scrutinise the credentials of the candidates through an online process.
The documents submitted by the candidates would be verified by the Ministry of Interior, National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA), Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), and National Accountability Bureau (NAB). The financial documents provided by the prospective candidates would also be checked by the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and State Bank of Pakistan (SBP).
An election tribunal will dispose of all appeals by February 23. And finally, the ECP will publish a revised list of nominated candidates on February 24.
Any notified candidates wishing to withdraw their candidacy will be able to do so before February 25.
A total of 52 senators in the House of 104 are set to retire on March 11 on completion of their six-year term. The number includes four of the eight senators from the former Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA).
As the seats representing FATA will not be filled due to the merger of the tribal areas with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) in May 2018, the Senate strength will shrink to 100.
Polling will, therefore, be held to elect 48 members: 12 each from KP and Balochistan, 11 each from Punjab and Sindh, and two from Islamabad.
The legislators will also vote to elect seven members on general seats including two women and two technocrats in the four provinces. Besides, the election on one minority seat each in KP and Balochistan will also be conducted.
More than 65 percent of the senators due to retire belong to the opposition parties.
SENATE ORDINANCE:
Last week, President Dr Arif Alvi issued an ordinance — Election (Amendment) Ordinance, 2021 — under which the Senate polls will be held through a show of hands to end the practice of horse-trading.
The amendment was introduced in section 33, 86, and 122 of the Election Act, 2017.
“Provided that in case the Supreme Court of Pakistan gives an opinion in Reference No. 1 of 2021, filed under Article 186 of the Constitution, that elections for the members of the Senate do not fall within the purview of Article 226 of the Constitution, the poll for elections for members of the Senate to be held in March and thereafter shall be conducted by the Commission through an open and identifiable ballot,” read the ordinance.
According to Article 226 of the Constitution: “All elections under the Constitution, other than those of prime minister and chief minister, shall be by secret ballot”.
However, the ordinance will only come into force if the presidential reference in this regard pending before the Supreme Court rules in the government’s favour.
