ISLAMABAD: Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Friday issued the election schedule for the 2018 Senate election which will be held on March 3.
The ECP issued nomination papers on Friday and stated that schedule for the seats reserved for Islamabad and FATA will be announced later.
According to the ECP, nomination papers will be acquired from the offices of returning officers concerned (during office timings) from February 4 to February 6. Scrutiny of the nomination papers would be done by February 9.
The list of contesting candidates would be issued on February 15 while nomination papers can be withdrawn till February 16.
According to the ECP, four senators will be elected on general seats from FATA, 11 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan each, and 12 each from Sindh and Punjab — including seven on general seats, two on technocrats’ seats, two on women’s seats and one on a minorities’ seat.
Islamabad too will elect two senators — on general and technocrat seats.
A total of 52 senators are set to complete their term this year.
Eighteen of the 26 Pakistan People’s Party senators including Senate Chairman Raza Rabbani, Opposition Leader Aitzaz Ahsan, Taj Haider and Farhatullah Babar will be retiring this year.
Nine out of 27 Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz senators will be retiring, including former finance minister Ishaq Dar.
The Senate constitutes a total of 104 members — 23 each from the four provinces, eight from FATA and four from Islamabad. The 23 provincial seats have 14 general, and four each for women and technocrats, one for minorities.
Half of the Senate retires after every three years, while the total term for a senator is six years.
