ISLAMABAD – Polling for byelections to six Senate seats begins in the federal capital and provincial assemblies.
The Senate will elect six members to fill the seats vacated by senators who migrated to the National Assembly after winning the Feb. 8 general election. Senators will elect one member from Islamabad, two from Sindh, and three from Balochistan.
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has announced that voting will take place in the National Assembly, as well as in Sindh and Balochistan assemblies. Polling will begin at 9 a.m. and continue until 4 p.m.
Zafar Iqbal, the Islamabad Returning Officer, has already issued Form 54, which contains the names of the candidates.
The ECP has already sent ballot papers and other election materials to the provincial assemblies of Sindh and Balochistan. Polling will be held for one reserved seat in Islamabad, two general seats in Sindh, and three general seats to represent Balochistan.
Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani and Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri, who had joined the National Assembly following their victory in the general elections, were among those who stepped down.
Similarly, Nisar Ahmed Khoro and Jam Mehtab Hussain Dahar were elected to the Sindh Assembly, while Prince Ahmed Umer Ahmedzai and Sarfaraz Ahmed Bugti joined the Balochistan Assembly.
Contestants
There are seven candidates for three Balochistan seats. Former Chief Minister Abdul Quddus Bizenjo is the PPP candidate, whereas Mir Dosteen Domki is the PML-N nominee. Abdul Shakoor has been nominated by the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam, while Kahda Babar and Mubeen Khilji have received tickets from the BAP.
Syed Mehmood Shah and Mir Heer Bayar are running in the Senate election as independents.
Yousuf Raza Gilani of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Chaudhry Ilyas Meharban of the Pakistani Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) are running for the seat reserved for the federal capital.
Sindh’s PPP candidates are Jam Saifullah Khan and Aslam Abro, while the Sunni Ittehad Council’s candidates are Nazirullah and Shazia Sohail.
