Polling for six vacant Senate seats from Sindh, Balochistan, and Islamabad will conclude at 4:00 PM. These vacancies arose due to Article 223 of the Constitution, which mandates the vacating of a seat by a lawmaker who opts to contest for another, thereby prohibiting dual membership.
In Sindh, opposition parties Muttahid Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) and Jamat-e-Islami (JI) have opted out of the polling. The election aims to fill two general seats with the Pakistan Peoples Party nominating Jam Saifullah Khan Dharejo and Muhammad Aslam Abro against Sunni Ittehad Council’s Nazeerullah and Shazia Sohail.
These by-elections were necessitated when PPP senators Nisar Ahmed Khuhro and Jam Mehtab Dahar assumed roles in the Sindh Assembly following the February 8 general elections. Provincial Election Commissioner Sharifullah serves as the returning officer for this by-election.
Seven candidates compete for three general Senate seats in Balochistan, with the voting occurring within the provincial legislature. Among the contenders are Abdul Shakoor Khan (backed by JUI-F), Abdul Quddus Bizenjo (PPP), Kauda Babar (Balochistan Awami Party), and others, including independent candidates.
These seats were vacated by senators Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri, Sarfraz Ahmed Bugti, and Prince Ahmad Umar Ahmadzai following their election to the National and Balochistan assemblies. Notably, Bugti has since aligned with the PPP. On the eve of polling, JUI-F and PPP leadership agreed to mutually support their respective candidates in the Senate by-elections.
In Islamabad, the National Assembly is set to elect a senator for a general seat vacated by PPP Senator Syed Yousuf Raza Gillani, who was elected as MNA in the February elections. Gillani, supported by a ruling coalition of six parties, is contending for the Senate chairman position and faces opposition from the SIC’s nominee, Ilyas Mehrban, a seasoned PTI member.
