Polling for by-elections on six general seats of the Senate has commenced in the National Assembly, as well as the assemblies of Balochistan and Sindh.
The by-elections are being conducted for one seat from Islamabad, two from Sindh, and three from Balochistan. Zafar Iqbal, an official from the Election Commission, has been designated as the returning officer for polling in the National Assembly hall. Voting, conducted through secret ballot, will continue until 4 pm, with the National, Sindh, and Balochistan assemblies serving as designated polling stations.
In the National Assembly, 311 members are poised to cast their votes for the solitary general seat from Islamabad. The contest primarily involves Ilyas Mehrban of the Sunni Ittehad Council and Yousuf Raza Gilani of the PPP.
The six senators elected today will serve a three-year term. These vacancies arose due to the resignations of senators elected to the Upper House in 2021, including Yousuf Raza Gilani, Abdul Ghafoor Haideri, Nisar Khuhro, Jam Mehtab, Prince Ahmad Umar, and Sarfaraz Bugti.
In Balochistan, seven contenders are competing for three seats, two of which became vacant after the retirement of lawmakers Tariq Hussain and Shakeel Ahmed Durrani from the PPP. Additionally, four candidates, supported by the Sunni Ittehad Council and the PPP, are contesting for two general seats from Sindh.
Notable contenders include the PPP’s Saifullah Abro and Jam Saifullah Dharejo, who are up against the Sunni Ittehad’s Shazia Sohail and Nazeerullah. The Sindh Assembly comprises 116 members from the PPP and nine from the Sunni Ittehad, with each member’s vote holding equal weight.
