170 candidates filed Senate election nomination papers: ECP

ISLAMABAD: Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Monday said that at least 170 candidates submitted their nomination papers with Returning Officers (ROs) for contesting election on Senate vacant seats to be held on March 3.

According to an official of ECP, 29 candidates have filed their nomination papers from Punjab, 39 from Sindh, 51 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 41 from Balochistan and 10 from federal capital.

As many as 40 nomination papers have been submitted for Women seats while 10 for Non-Muslim and 33 nomination papers have been submitted for Technocrats and Ulema seats besides 87 for General seats.

He said that the commission had extended the date for filing nomination papers for senate election from February 13 to February 15 on written and verbal requests from various forums to facilitate the candidates.

He said that the ECP had appointed five Returning Officers for Islamabad and four provinces.

He said that the polling will be held on March 3 on 48 seats, two in Islamabad, 11 each in Punjab and Sindh, and 12 each in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan that will fall vacant on the expiration of the term of the members.

He said that the polling would be held from 0900 hours to 1700 hours simultaneously in Parliament House, Islamabad, and provincial assembly buildings in Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.

A public notice has already been issued by returning officers for inviting nomination papers. The nominated candidates will be announced on February 16, while the date for scrutiny of nomination papers will be February 17 to February 18.

The last dates for filing of appeals against acceptance or rejection of nominations will be February 20 while the dates for disposal of appeals by the Tribunals will be February 23. The date of publication of revised list of candidates will be February 24 while the date for withdrawal of candidature will be February 25.