ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has completed all necessary preparations for the upcoming Senate elections scheduled to take place nationwide on April 2 (tomorrow).
Polling will continue from 9 AM to 4 PM in the National Assembly and all four provincial assemblies. To facilitate the voting process, ballot papers in four different colors have been printed: white for general seats, green for technocrat seats, pink for women, and yellow for minority seats.
Transportation of election materials to returning officers has been successfully executed, and the final list of candidates contesting for the 48 vacant Senate seats has been issued.
Of the 147 candidates who submitted nomination papers, 18 were elected unopposed, with seven from Punjab’s general seats and others from Balochistan. The remaining 30 seats will be contested by 59 candidates on Tuesday.
The elections aim to fill the seats left vacant by 52 senators who completed their six-year terms and retired on March 12. Out of these, 48 seats are up for grabs, while four were abolished following the merger of former Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) regions into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, reducing the Senate’s total seats from 100 to 96.
The Senate elections will cover various categories, including general, women, technocrat/Ulema, and non-Muslim seats across different provinces. However, there’s a possibility of delay in the elections for 11 seats in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa if the Speaker of the KP Assembly does not administer the oath to certain lawmakers-elect.
Recently, the ECP released a comprehensive code of conduct to ensure transparency and fairness throughout the electoral process. The code prohibits political parties and candidates from engaging in corrupt or illegal activities and emphasizes the neutrality of the electoral watchdog. Additionally, any attempt by public office holders to influence election outcomes is strictly forbidden.
