All set for Senate elections today as ECP issues final list of contenders

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has finalized the arrangements for the upcoming Senate elections, scheduled to take place today.

According to the commission, voting will be conducted in both the National and provincial assemblies from 9 am to 4pm.

In preparation for the elections, a motion to utilize the National Assembly hall for the Senate election will be presented and approved during today’s Lower House session.

Ballot papers have been printed in four different colours for the Senate elections to represent various categories of seats. White papers will be used for general seats, green for technocrat seats, pink for women seats, and yellow for minority seats.

The delivery of election materials, including ballot papers, to the returning officer has been completed, ensuring the smooth conduct of the electoral process.

In some provincial assemblies, candidates have been elected unopposed. All 11 candidates from the Balochistan Assembly have been elected unopposed, along with candidates on seven general seats from the Punjab Assembly.

However, in other regions, tough contest is expected between the treasury and opposition parties.

In Islamabad, two candidates each are competing for general and technocrat seats.

In Punjab, there are four candidates for women’s seats, and three each for technocrat and ulema seats. Moreover, two candidates are contesting the minority seat in the province.

The election commission also unveiled the final list of candidates vying for the Senate

seats in Punjab. In the race for the two technocrat seats, federal Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, PML-N’S Dr Musadik Malik, and PTI’S Dr Yasmin Rashid will go head-to-head.

Similarly, four candidates will compete for the two seats reserved for women, including Anusha Rehman, Bushra Anjum Butt, Faiza Malik, and Sanam Javed. Khalil Tahir Sandhu and Sunni Ittehad Council’s Asif Ashiq are set to contest for the minority seat.

Moreover, the returning officer concerned has issued notifications confirming the unopposed victories of certain candidates on general seats for the upcoming Senate elections in Punjab.

Returning Officer Ijaz Anwar Chauhan issued notifications for seven newly selected senators on general seats, where Ahad Khan Cheema, Pervaiz Rasheed, Mohsin Naqvi, Talal Chaudhry, and Nasir Mehmood have emerged victorious through PML-N’S support. Hamid Khan and Raja Nasir Abbas from the Sunni Ittehad Council have also been declared winners without facing any opposition.

On the other hand, there are 11 candidates for general seats and three for women’s seats from Sindh. There are four candidates for technocrat seats and two for minority seats.

From Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, there are 16 candidates running for general seats and four candidates for women’s seats. Moreover, there is a contest among six candidates on ulema and technocrat seats.

The election commission had declared that the Senate poll in KP Assembly will be postponed if the members on reserved seats are not sworn in. The candidates vying for a spot in the Senate from Balochistan in the upcoming elections to the Upper House of parliament were elected unopposed on all the seats on March 29.

The election commission announced that the candidates from Balochistan were elected unopposed on all seats of the Senate. The seats up for grabs from Balochistan were seven general seats, two women’s seats, and two technocrat seats.

Also, 20 of the 33 candidates of the Senate had withdrawn their nomination papers, while two contenders stepped down in favour of their opposing candidates, the ECP confirmed.