ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Monday sought to delay the Senate chairman and deputy chairman election until after polls were held on vacant seats from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Five PTI senators filed a plea in the Islamabad High Court and also wrote a letter to the Senate secretary.
Elections for thirty vacant Senate seats were scheduled to be held on April 2. However, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had delayed polls on eleven seats from KP following a continuing controversy over the oath-taking of opposition lawmakers on reserved seats.
However, the election still went ahead on 19 seats, which witnessed the ruling coalition clinching all. Following the polls, the total strength house increased from 66 to 85, with 59 seats going to the ruling coalition, led by PML-N. The clean sweep also put the ruling alliance in a better position to get any legislation passed from both chambers of Parliament.
Late last night, President Asif Ali Zardari summoned a fresh session of the Senate on April 9. It is likely that polls for the Senate chairman and deputy chairman will be held during Tuesday’s session.
In the plea filed in the IHC today, Falak Naz, Fawzia Arshad, Zarqa Suharwardy Taimur, Saifullah Sarwar Khan Niazi and Saifullah Abro named the ECP, the Senate secretariat, and the president as the respondents.
The petition noted that polls on vacant Senate seats were not held on April 2 and were postponed.
It said that the ECP notification delaying polls in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was issued without lawful authority and in violation of the constitution in as much as the election commission has now announced to hold polls in the offices of the chairman and deputy chairman.
Session of Incomplete Senate
The petition further said that it was widely reported that on April 9 a session of an incomplete Senate has been convened to hold polls for the Senate’s top positions.
It contended that the elections for the positions could not be held without holding polls for the vacant seats in KP.
The petition said that under Article 60 of the Constitution, the election to slots of chairman and deputy chairman of the Senate can only be held after the Senate has been duly constituted. Any election for the slots of chairman and deputy chairman in the absence of a duly constituted Senate shall be void, it added.
