Less than two weeks before the Senate elections, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) said no to Murad Saeed and Azam Swati from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The same fate was met by Mahmood Khan from PTI-P. Meanwhile, the ECP released a final list of 30 approved candidates for various seats in the Senate.
These developments come ahead of the April 2 elections to fill 48 vacant seats in the upper house after the term of the current senators ended on March 11. Members from Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh, and Punjab assemblies will cast their votes to elect senators for different seats, including general, women, and technocrats.
Candidates whose nomination papers were accepted or rejected have until March 21 to file appeals, which will be reviewed by a tribunal by March 25. The final list of candidates will be published on March 26, and they have until March 27 to withdraw their candidature.
The polling for Senate elections will take place on April 2 in Islamabad’s Parliament House and the four provincial assemblies from 9 am to 4 pm.
It’s important to note that Murad Saeed and other PTI leaders have been staying low due to fears of arrest over their alleged involvement in the May 9 riots, which erupted after Imran Khan’s arrest in a corruption case last year, resulting in vandalism of military installations across the country.
The ECP also issued a code of conduct for the Senate polls, outlining rules for political parties, candidates, election agents, and voters. Among other things, it prohibits seeking support from government officials, bars presidents, and governors from election campaigning, and restricts voters from using electronic devices to take photos of their ballot papers. Candidates are also required to maintain detailed accounts of their campaign expenses.