Election Commission of Pakistan on Monday received nomination papers from 10 candidates who want to contest the upcoming senate elections. According to the ECP official, one candidate of Pakistan Muslim League-Q candidate and nine candidates from Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) submitted their nomination papers.
The ECP has started receiving nomination papers for Senate elections from FATA and all the four provinces on Monday. A total of 50 senators are retiring in March after completing their respective terms. The elections are to be held on 54 seats, which include 11 from each province, four from FATA and two from the federal capital, while four minority members (one from each province) will also be elected for the first time.
Those who submitted their nomination papers for senate elections from FATA included Munir Orakzai, Dr Abdul Qadir, Sajid Husain Turi, Najmul Hasan, Jawad Husain, Hidayatullah, Bismilah Khan, Abdul Malik and Husain Khan.
Members of the provincial assemblies of the Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan will elect seven Senate members on general seats, two on seats reserved for women and two on seats reserved for technocrats.
According to the ECP notification for Senate elections, the Returning Officer continued receiving nomination papers in provincial election commissions and central election commission offices until Tuesday (today). The scrutiny of nomination papers would be carried out on 15 and 16 February. Appeals regarding objections would be disposed of on February 22 and 23. The final list of the candidates would be announced on February 24. Polling will be held in the National Assembly and the four provincial assemblies on March 2 and the senators will be required to take oath on March 12.