ISLAMABAD: Elections for four Senate seats from the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) will be held on March 20, nine days after the expiry of the term of half of the eight senators from the region.

An official of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) told Dawn that the notification about withdrawal of a controversial presidential order about the elections had been received and the polling would be held in accordance with the old procedure.

Know more: Presidential order on Senate election for Fata seats withdrawn

He said only the 36 candidates whose nomination papers had already been accepted would be entitled to take part in the electoral race and polling would take place from 9am to 4pm at the Parliament House where 11 members of the National Assembly from Fata would cast votes to elect four senators.

The polling was scheduled for March 5 along with the elections for 48 other seats, but was cancelled because of confusion generated by the presidential order issued hours before the polls to amend the election procedure for Fata seats.

The notification regarding the new date was issued following a petition filed by five of the eleven MNAs from Fata who sought early election for the seats following withdrawal of the presidential order. MNAs Shah Jee Gul Afridi, Dr G. G. Jamal, Nasir Khan Afridi and Bilal Rehman said in the petition filed through Shafqat Abbasi that they could not take part in the elections for Senate’s chairman and deputy chairman.

Each voter will be given one ballot paper and will affix a stamp in front of names of four candidates whose election symbols will also be printed.

Published in Dawn March 17th , 2015

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