ECP issues Form 52 for those vying for Senate slots

The Election Commission of Pakistan has issued the Form 52 for those who had submitted their nomination papers for the Senate elections slated for April 2.

The details of candidates for two general and two technocrat seats from Islamabad have been released.
The names issued for the general seats from Islamabad are PML-N’s Rana Mehmood-ul-Hassan and Sunni Ittehad Council’s (SIC) Farzand Hussain Shah.

For the technocrat seats from Islamabad, the names include PML-N’s Ishaq Dar and SIC’s Raja Ansar Mehmood Gilani.

The PML-N and PPP had reached a seat-adjustment agreement for the two Senate seats from Islamabad.

A total of 52 seats in the upper house of parliament will become vacant, but elections will only be held for 48 senators.

The reduction is because of the abolition of four reserved seats for the erstwhile Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) following the 25th Constitutional Amendment that merged them with Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

The members of the National Assembly will elect one general seat and one technocrat seat (including Ulema) from the federal capital.

Read PML-N picks Sindhu for Senate polls

In preparation for the upcoming elections, the ECP has appointed returning officers (ROs) for Islamabad and the four provinces.

Saeed Gul, the director general (training of the ECP, will serve as the RO in the federal capital.
Separately, the ECP has announced the polling date had been changed at six polling stations in PB-50 Killa Abdullah.

It said on the Balochistan government’s request, polling will be held on March 28 at the six polling stations of PB-50.

Earlier, polling was scheduled on March 19.

The ECP has ordered the ROs concerned to supervise security and other arrangements.

According to the commission, polling will be held from 8am to 4pm.

ANP’s Zamrak Khan had won from PB-50, but the results were challenged by the runner-up, JUI-F’s Muhammad Nawaz.

Following the JUI-F candidate’s plea, the ECP had ordered polling to be conducted again at six polling stations of the constituency.