ECP all set to conduct Senate Elections on April 2nd.
Voting will happen in the National Assembly and all four provincial assemblies from 9 AM to 4 PM.
Different colored ballot papers have been printed for the Senate elections. White papers will be used for general seats, green for technocrat seats, pink for women, and yellow for minority seats.
Additionally, the delivery of election materials to returning officers is finished.
Returning officers have already issued the final list of candidates for the 48 empty Senate seats.
The elections were planned for 29 general seats, eight for women, nine for technocrats/Ulema, and two for non-Muslims.
147 candidates submitted nomination papers for these empty seats.
18 of them were elected unopposed, seven from Punjab’s general seats. Similarly, in Balochistan, senators for seven general seats, two women seats, and two Ulema/technocrat seats have won without any competition.
According to the Election Commission’s schedule, the contest for the remaining 30 seats will be on Tuesday. A total of 59 candidates are competing for these seats.
Next month’s elections include one general and one technocrat seat from the federal capital, two women seats, two technocrat/Ulema seats, and one non-Muslim seat from Punjab. Similarly, Sindh will have elections for seven general, two women, two technocrat/Ulema, and one non-Muslim seat.
Also, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will conduct elections for seven general, two women, and two technocrat seats on April 2nd.
A total of 59 candidates are vying for these seats.
The Senate elections for 11 seats in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa could be delayed if the Speaker of the KP Assembly does not administer the oath to women and minority lawmakers-elect from the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) on the reserved seats, as warned by the electoral body.
According to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), the elections aim to fill the seats left vacant by half of the current senators who retired on March 12. Out of the 52 senators who completed their six-year terms and retired, elections are being held for 48 seats.
This is because four seats were abolished following the merger of the former Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) regions into the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province. Consequently, the Senate’s total number of seats will decrease from 100 to 96.
Recently, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) released a detailed code of conduct for parties and candidates ahead of the Senate elections. The code aims to guarantee transparency, integrity, and fairness throughout the electoral process.
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The code of conduct imposes stringent guidelines on political parties and candidates involved in the elections. They are urged to avoid making the electoral watchdog controversial and are prohibited from engaging in corrupt or illegal activities.
Additionally, any support from public office holders to influence election outcomes is strictly forbidden.
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