The Pakistan Election Commission (ECP) on Friday issued the long-awaited schedule for election of the Senate in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Punjab, which set July 21 as election date for several seats that are left unemployed due to delays derived from an incomplete election college.
According to an official review, voting on seven general seats, two reserved seats are held for women and two for technocrats and disadvantage of KP on July 21 at the Provincial Assembly Building in Peshawar.
The election had previously been scheduled for April 2, 2024, but was postponed after the KP assembly speaker refused to manage oaths to members elected on reserved seats. Impasse left Electoral College incomplete, causing the ECP to delay the polls.
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In addition, the Commission has also announced the election program to the Senate seat vacated by Dr. Sania Nishtar. A public notice is issued on July 9, while nomination papers can be filed on July 10 and 11.
Meanwhile, the ECP has also resumed the election process for the Senate seat, which was available after the passing of Senator Sajid Mir. These elections were similarly delayed due to the incomplete composition of the election college.
According to the revised schedule, the recurring officer releases an updated list of candidates on July 15 with the deadline for withdrawal of nomination papers set at July 16. Voting will be held on July 21 in Punjab Assembly Building in Lahore.
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Separately, the ECP also issued a timetable for the choice of two vacant seats reserved for women in the National Assembly of KP, previously held by the Pakistani Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).
The recurring officer issues a public announcement on July 8 with nomination papers to be submitted on July 9 and 10.
The Commission noted that PML-N’s previously prioritized list for women’s reserved seats was exhausted and the party has been instructed to submit a new list to the recurring officer by July 10.
In order to facilitate the implementation of the election college prior to the Senate election, the ECP has written to the speakers at the National Assembly and the relevant provincial assemblies and asks them to administer ED to newly notified members elected to reserved seats.
