ECP issues schedule for Senate by-election on vacant KP seat

PESHAWAR: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Thursday released the schedule for the election of a member of the Senate from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on a general seat that became vacant after the disqualification of Murad Saeed.

According to an official notification issued under Article 224(5) of the Constitution, read with Sections 107 and 127 of the Elections Act, 2017, members of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly have been summoned to elect a new senator.

The notification set out the full timetable for the by-election process. Under the schedule, the returning officer will issue a public notice inviting nomination papers on April 3.

Candidates will be able to submit their nomination papers on April 6 and 7, while the names of nominated candidates will be published on April 8.

The scrutiny of nomination papers will be completed by April 10. Appeals against the acceptance or rejection of nomination papers may be filed by April 13, and the tribunal will decide those appeals by April 15.

A revised list of candidates will be issued on April 16. April 17 has been fixed as the final date for the withdrawal of candidature.

Polling for the vacant Senate seat will take place on April 23 at the provincial assembly building in Peshawar. Voting will continue from 9am to 4pm.

The ECP notification was issued by Deputy Director (Coordination) Muhammad Asad Ali on behalf of the commission.

Election process outlined in official notification

The commission said the election is being held against a general seat from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa that fell vacant following Murad Saeed’s disqualification. The electoral college for the contest will consist of members of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Provincial Assembly, who have been called upon to elect the new senator in line with the constitutional and legal provisions cited in the notification.

The announcement formally begins the process for filling the vacant upper house seat, with each stage of nominations, scrutiny, appeals, revision of candidate lists and polling now assigned specific dates by the ECP.

The by-election will be conducted in Peshawar at the assembly building, where lawmakers will cast their votes during the hours specified by the commission.