Pakistan’s Upper House (Senate) became dysfunctional for three weeks, as 52 lawmakers, more than half the strength of the upper house, retired including Chairman Senate Sadiq Sanjrani, Deputy Chairman Mirza Afridi. The schedule for Senate elections will be issued on March 14 while the nomination papers for elections can be obtained from Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) head office and four provincial secretariats. While the nomination papers can be submitted to concerned ECP offices during March 15 and 16. As per law, the term of 52 Senate members, including Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani, Deputy Chairman Mirza Afridi, Leader of the House Ishaq Dar, Leader of the Opposition Dr. Shahzad Waseem and Senator Raza Rabbani, ended on Tuesday. The term of 11 senators supported by PML-N, 13 by PPP, 7 by PTI, and two each from JUI-F, Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP), and National Party have ended.

Four senators supported by Balochistan Awami Party (BAP), along with one senator from Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), MQM-P, and Pakistan Muslim League-F, (PML-F) have also retired. Those who retired include, Moula Bux Chandio, Farogh Naseem, Dr Musadik Malik, Faisal Javed and Azam Khan Swati. Asad Ali Junejo and Mushahid Hussain Sayed representing Islamabad, have also retired from Senate. After the general elections, 6 Senate seats got vacant after the Senators won MNA seats. By-elections to fill these vacant seats will take place on March 14. The term of a senator is six years and half of them retire every three years. The elections of new Senators normally take place days before the expiry of the senators’ term, but this time that could not happen. The new situation appeared came about due to the delay in holding general elections, in the absence of an electoral college caused by the failure of the ECP to hold timely general elections.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)