21 file nominations for six Senate seats

Twenty-one candidates from various political parties filed their nomination papers on Sunday on the last date of the filing of papers for the three vacant seats from Balochistan, two from Sindh and one from Islamabad, according to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) officials.

In Islamabad, Pakistan Peoples Party’s Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani returned to re-take the Senate seat, he had vacated following his victory in a National Assembly constituency in Multan in the February 8 general election.

Gilani’s nomination papers were submitted to the ECP through his legal representatives. On the other hand, the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) fielded Chaudhry Ilyas Mehrban, leading to a one-on-one contest for one general seat from the federal capital.

In Karachi, seven candidates, belonging to the PPP and the SIC, submitted their nominations for two general seats of Senate from Sindh. For the SIC, Shazia Sohail, Jameel Ahmed and Nazirullah filed the nomination papers.

On the other hand, the PPP candidates were Jam Saifullah Dharejo and Aslam Abro, Waqar Mehdi and Aajiz Dhamraha. The PPP said that their main candidates would be Dharejo and Abro, while Mehdi and Dhamraha would be their covering candidates.

In Quetta, 12 candidates submitted their nomination papers for the three vacant Senate seats from Balochistan. ECP officials said that Sunday was the last date for filing nomination papers would be scrutinised till March 5 (tomorrow).

Last week, ECP unveiled the schedule for conducting elections to fill six vacant Senate seats, with the voting set for March 14. According to ECP, the six seats had become vacant after those senators took oath as members of other legislative bodies.

Those who vacated the seats were: Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani from Islamabad; Maulana Ghafoor Haideri, Prince Ahmed Umer Ahmedzai and Sarfraz Ahmed Bugti from Balochistan, and Nisar Ahmed Khuhro and Jam Mehtab Hussain Dahar from Sindh.

According to election schedule, nomination papers were to ben received on March 2 and 3. Scrutiny of nomination papers would be finalized by March 5, while the appeals regarding the acceptance or rejection of the nomination papers would be heard on March 7 and decided by March 9.

A revised list of candidates will be issued on March 9, after which candidates could withdraw their nomination papers until March 10. Polling would held on March 14 in the National Assembly for an Islamabad seat and the provincial assemblies of Sindh and Balochistan.

(WITH INPUT FROM OUT KARACHI & QUETTA CORRESPONDENT)