SIC moves Pak poll body to postpone Senate chairman, deputy chairman election

On behalf of the SIC, attorney Hamid Khan filed the plea requesting that the ECP call an early election to fill 11 Senate seats in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

In light of the delay in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Senate elections, the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) submitted a plea with the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Saturday, seeking postponement of the Senate chairman and deputy chairman elections amid the absence of Senate election in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, reported ARY News. On behalf of the SIC, attorney Hamid Khan filed the plea requesting that the ECP call an early election to fill 11 Senate seats in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

The KP Senate poll is necessary to complete the Electoral College, according to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-backed SIC, which suggested delaying the April 9 Senate chairman and deputy chairman elections. It is important to note that, at the request of the opposition members, the provincial election commissioner in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa postponed the Senate elections on April 2.

Since there is still disagreement regarding the sworn-in ceremony for the opposition members of the KP Assembly who were elected to reserved seats, the opposition members petitioned the ECP. According to insiders, plans were in motion to call the Senate's first meeting on April 9 in light of the most recent House election, according to ARY News. In addition to the newly elected senators taking their oath during the Senate session, the election of the chairman and deputy chairman will also take place that day.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, according to sources, recommended that Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar be named the presiding officer of the senate session, and President of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari signed the summary. Last month, PTI leader Azam Swati also filed a plea before the Peshawar High Court (PHC) challenging the Election Commission of Pakistan's (ECP) decision to postpone the Senate election in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

In his appeal, Swati claimed that the ECP made its decision without consulting the candidates running for the Senate, according to ARY News. The ruling alliance won the majority of Senate seats from other provinces in the April 2 election, but the KP Upper House poll was postponed. (ANI)

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