ECP’s new schedule: 11 FATA MPs to elect four senators on March 20

ECP announces after govt withdraws its earlier notification changing the procedure for polls

ISLAMABAD:

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has announced the schedule for elections on four Senate seats of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) after the government withdrew its earlier notification changing the procedure for polls.

According to a notification issued by the poll supervisory body on Monday, polling will be held at the Parliament House on March 20 from 9am to 4pm. On March 13, the ministry of law, justice and human rights took back the presidential order promulgated hours before the March 5 Senate polls.

Now, 11 Fata MNAs will be electing four senators who had retired on March 11 after expiry of their six-year term. Each of these MNAs has four votes, as before under the old system. There are around 36 candidates in the run for the four Senate seats.

Polls for these seats were postponed after some Fata members moved a plea before the court and the ECP against the Presidential Order on the polling day. A total of 52 seats had to be filled before March 5 polls to replace half of the members in the 104-member house.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 17^th, 2015.