ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) is constitutionally bound to announce the schedule for election on the Senate seat from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa that has fallen vacant due to the resignation of Ayub Afridi from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) within a month.
The electoral body has received a copy of Afridi’s resignation sent by the Senate Secretariat and is likely to issue the election schedule soon, Business Recorder has learnt.
Rule 18 of the Rules of Procedures and Conduct of Business in Senate 2012 provides that a senator who intends to step down from the Senate membership, is required to tender his/her handwritten resignation to chairman Senate.
The resignation becomes effective after verification by the chairman from the senator.
The chairman is required to record date and time of the resignation while secretary Senate is required to issue a gazette notification regarding the resignation and send a copy of the resignation to ECP to fill the vacant seat.
Article 224 (5) of the Constitution of Pakistan provides that when a seat in the Senate becomes vacant, an election to fill the seat shall be held within 30 days from the occurrence of the vacancy.
Afridi, who has been appointed as Prime Minister’s Advisor on Overseas Pakistanis, has left the Senate seat to reportedly create space for PM’s Finance Advisor Shaukat Tarin.
The delay in Tarin’s election as senator is attributed to the government’s plan to hold voting on crucial legislation related to Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and internet voting (i-voting) in Parliament’s joint session, and its concern that it may lose a vote in the Senate if Afridi had resigned and his replacement not yet elected.
A source close to Afridi said that he tendered his handwritten resignation to the chairman Senate a few weeks ago but it was not verified by the chairman Senate who was in Balochistan at the time, reportedly to lobby for new Chief Minister Abdul Quddus Bizenjo.
It was then decided to take up the issue of Tarin’s elevation to Senate after Parliament’s joint session, according to sources.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2021
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