Pakistan politics: PPP asks election commission to hold early polls for 11 Senate seats

The Pakistan People's Party (PPP) on Thursday (Feb 29) demanded that the election commission should holdearly elections for the 11 Senate seats that are currently vacant. In a letter to the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC),PPP Central Election Cell in-charge Senator Taj Haider said that theupper house of the bicameral parliament is incomplete because its 11 seats were lying vacant.

"Section 127 of the Election Act deals with by-elections on vacant seats of the Senate while Section 107 of the same Act laying down the procedure of all elections to the Senate does not allow more than one day for completing each step of the election schedule," Senator Haider said.

The letter was shared by the PPP in a post on X. The party also named the senators who vacated the seats.

Newly elected assembly meets amid protests by PTI

On Thursday, Pakistan'snewly elected lower house of parliament saw lawmakers take oathamid protests by former jailed prime minister Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

In the February 8 general elections, candidates backed by Khan gained the most seats but thePakistanMuslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the PPPhave agreed to an alliance to form a coalition government.

"Who will savePakistan? Imran Khan, Imran Khan!" his supporters chanted as legislators, including the prime minister in waiting Shehbaz Sharif, signed the membership register of the National Assembly.

Not all members of the 336-member house took oath, with the apportioning of 70 reserved seats for women and minorities still pending adjudication by the election commission.

Schedule issued for presidential polls

Meanwhile, the election commission issued the notice and schedule for the presidential elections that will happen on March 9."In pursuance of the provisions contained in paragraphs 1 and 3 of the Second Schedule of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, 1973 read with clauses (3) and (4) of Article 41 of the Constitution, Public Notification for election to the office of the President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is hereby issued and in relation thereto the following programme for receipt of nomination papers, scrutiny of nomination papers, withdrawal of candidature, publication of a list of validly nominated candidates, retirement and polling day," a notice from the poll body said.

Candidates for the country'stop constitutional office can submit nomination papers with the presiding officers in Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar, and Quetta by March 2 before 12 pm local time, Geo News reported citing the commission.

The notification also said thatthe returning officers will scrutinise the nomination papers filed by presidential candidates on March 4, adding that the candidature can be withdrawn the next day.

After this, the poll body will releasethe list of validly nominated candidates on the same day.