ISLAMABAD, Jan 13: The chief election commissioner on Monday revised the schedule for filing of nomination papers for the Senate elections.
This is the second change in the election schedule announced by the Chief Election Commissioner, Justice Irshad Hasan Khan (retired), in the last one week.
The latest change has been made keeping in view the convenience of the ruling party which is finding it difficult to finalize names of its candidates as the tussle between the retired army generals and the party leaders for Senate tickets has intensified, reports emanating from the ruling party camp said.
Justice Irshad said on Monday said that there was no change in the polling dates for the elections which would be held for provinces on Feb 24, and for Fata and Federal Capital Territory on Feb 27.
The CEC said that since by-elections to the national and provincial assemblies seats would be held on Jan 15, which was also the last date for filing of nomination papers for Senate elections, members of all the political parties would be preoccupied with the polling activity on that day.
By-elections are being held on 10 National Assembly and 19 provincial assemblies constituencies.
“To facilitate the members of the National Assembly and the provincial assemblies, who constitute the electoral college for election to the Senate and who shall be busy on the 15th of January, 2003, in by-election to the National Assembly and provincial assemblies’ seats, the chief election commissioner has decided to revise the Senate election schedule, without altering the dates for Senate polls, which remain unchanged i.e. Feb 24, 2003, for election from provinces and Feb 27, 2003 for federal capital and Fata.”
According to revised schedule, nomination papers could be filed till Jan 22. Earlier, on Jan 7, the EC had fixed Jan 15 as the last date for filing of nomination papers.
Scrutiny of nomination papers will be held from Jan 23 to 29. Filing of appeals against nomination papers would start from Jan 31, which would be disposed of till Feb 6. The last date for withdrawal of candidature is fixed at Feb 7. List of the contesting candidates would be published on Feb 8, 2003, the EC latest announcement said.
The Senate elections, according to the Supreme Court judgment validating military takeover on the basis of doctrine of necessity, were required to be held before Oct 12, 2002.
The military government not only violated the Supreme Court judgment it has also violated the Legal Framework Order 2002, in which it was written that the Senate elections would be held on Nov 12. Senate elections have so far been delayed for four times on different pretexts.
