Opposition Parties Disagree on Joint Candidate for Senate By-Election; Final Decision Expected Sunday
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has officially informed the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assembly about the upcoming Senate by-election set for April 23. The ECP has directed all members to bring their original CNIC and Assembly membership cards when voting.
In a letter to the Assembly Secretariat, the ECP confirmed that the by-election for the vacant Senate seat will take place on April 23. The commission has mandated that MPs must present both their CNIC and Assembly membership card during voting. MPs have been urged to ensure they have both documents with them.
Meanwhile, a rift has emerged among opposition parties regarding the selection of a joint candidate for the Senate by-election. The Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) have been unable to come to an agreement, with the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) opting out of the race.
Initially, the opposition parties had agreed to nominate a consensus candidate for the vacant Senate seat. Nomination papers were filed by JUI-F's Maulana Abdul Haseeb, PPP's Raheela Bibi, and PML-N's Asghar. Following interviews by a parliamentary committee, the PPP candidate was asked to withdraw her papers. However, both JUI-F and PML-N have stood by their respective candidates, leading to a deadlock between the two parties.
