The returning officer concerned has issued notifications confirming the unopposed victories of certain candidates on general seats for the upcoming Senate elections in Punjab. Returning Officer Ijaz Anwar Chauhan issued notifications for seven newly selected senators on general seats, where Ahad Khan Cheema, Pervaiz Rasheed, Mohsin Naqvi, Talal Chaudhry, and Nasir Mehmood have emerged victorious through PML-N's support. Hamid Khan and Raja Nasir Abbas from the Sunni Ittehad Council have also been declared winners without facing any opposition. The election for the seats reserved for women, technocrats, and minorities will be held on April 2. On the other hand, the election commission has unveiled the final list of candidates vying for the Senate seats in Punjab. In the race for the two technocrat seats, federal Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, PML-N's Dr Musadik Malik, and PTI's Dr Yasmin Rashid will go head-to-head.

Similarly, four candidates will compete for the two seats reserved for women, including Anusha Rehman, Bushra Anjum Butt, Faiza Malik, and Sanam Javed. Khalil Tahir Sandhu and Sunni Ittehad Council's Asif Ashiq are set to contest for the minority seat. On Wednesday, it was revealed that five out of the seven general seats of the Senate from Punjab were clinched by candidates supported by the ruling alliance, while the opposition SIC's secured the remaining two seats uncontested. Despite initial electoral race with 12 candidates vying for the seven general seats, withdrawals of nominations narrowed down the field to seven contenders, resulting in all candidates being declared successful without competition. The withdrawal of papers by candidates such as Waleed Iqbal, Shahzad Wasim, Ijaz Minhas, Dr Musadik Malik, and Umar Cheema left the field open for the uncontested winners.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan