LAHORE: Before the Senate election slated for April 2, seven individuals affiliated with various political parties were elected unopposed as senators from Punjab on Wednesday, marking a significant development in the political landscape.
Notable among the unopposed winners are prominent Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) figures including Pervaiz Rasheed, Nasir Mehmood, and Talal Chaudhry. Additionally, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Ahad Cheema secured their positions without encountering any opposition. Raja Nasir Abbas, backed by the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC), and Hamid Khan also emerged as successful candidates in this unchallenged electoral process.
The decision saw Mustafa Ramday withdraw his nomination papers for the technocrat seat, while Shahzad Waseem, Musadik Malik, Walid Iqbal, and Umar Ijaz Cheema opted out from the race for general seats.
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had previously announced the Senate elections to address the 48 vacant seats in the upper house of parliament. With 52 seats becoming vacant upon the expiration of the incumbent senators’ six-year terms, the elections aim to fill 48 of these seats, as four reserved seats for the former Federally Administered Tribal Areas were abolished following the 25th Constitutional amendment.
Polling arrangements are in place for the allocation of members to seven general seats, two women seats, two technocrat seats (including Ulema), and one non-Muslim seat from both Sindh and Punjab. Furthermore, representatives from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Balochistan will partake in the selection process for seven general seats, two women seats, and two technocrat seats (including Ulema).
Acknowledging the importance of the Senate elections in shaping the country’s political landscape, the Election Commission appointed returning officers (ROs) across Islamabad and the four provinces to ensure the smooth conduct of the electoral process. ECP Director General Training Saeed Gul will serve as the Returning Officer (RO) in Islamabad, while provincial election commissioners will assume RO responsibilities in Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Balochistan, respectively.
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