Election Commission of Pakistan appoints returning officers for senate elections

Islamabad [Pakistan], March 11 (ANI): In view of the senate elections, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has appointed returning officers (ROs) in Islamabad and four provinces for the conduct of the polls, expected to be held in the first week of April, as reported by Geo News on Sunday.

The election body issued a notification on Sunday saying that the ECP Director General Training Saeed Gul will be the Returning Officer (RO) in the federal capital, whereas provincial election commissioners Aijaz Anwar Chohan, Sharifullah, Shamshad Khan, and Muhammad Farid Afridi will be returning officers in Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Balochistan, respectively, Geo News reported.

Members of the National Assembly will elect one general seat and one seat for technocrats, including Ulema, from the federal capital.

The ECP also called upon members of the provincial assemblies of Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Balochistan to elect members against seven general seats, two women seats, and two seats for technocrats, including Ulema, from each province and one seat for non-Muslims each from Punjab and Sindh, which are going to be vacant after the terms of incumbent senators tomorrow (Monday).

Moreover, the by-election on six vacant seats of the Senate is poised to be held on Thursday (March 14).

According to the election regulator, polling will be held at the upper house of parliament as well as at Sindh and Balochistan assemblies in Karachi and Quetta.

Geo News reported that these seats in the general category fell vacant in the federal capital, two in Sindh and three in Balochistan, as senators relinquished their seats, following their election as members of the National Assembly as well as provincial assemblies of Sindh and Balochistan.

Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani and Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri have joined the lower house of parliament after winning the recently concluded general elections.

Similarly, Nisar Ahmed Khoro and Jam Mehtab Hussain Dahar were elected to the Sindh Assembly, whereas Prince Ahmed Umer Ahmedzai and Sarfaraz Ahmed Bugti became members of the Balochistan Assembly.