ISLAMABAD, Jan 18: The Election Commission on Saturday set yet another condition for the candidates contesting the Senate election, making the presence of proposer and seconder mandatory at the time of scrutiny of nomination papers.

“The proposer and the seconder shall be present in person before the returning officer at the time of scrutiny of the nomination papers of a candidate to which he has subscribed in order to enable the returning officer to ensure the genuineness or otherwise of the signature of the proposer and the seconder, as the case may be,” said an announcement of the Election Commission.

The returning officer would reject the nomination paper summarily in case the proposer or the seconder was not present with the candidate at the time of scrutiny of nomination papers.

Chief election commissioner Justice Irshad Hassan Khan (retired), in exercise of the power conferred under Section 3 read with Section 85 of the Senate Election Act and all other powers enabling him in that behalf, has warned if proposer or seconder fails to be present before the returning officer on the said date the nomination paper of their candidates would be rejected, adds APP.

Section 84 of the act empowers the chief election commissioner to issue such instructions and exercise such powers including the power to review an order passed by any officer under the act or the rules, and make such consequential order, as may be, in his opinion, necessary for ensuring that an election is conducted honestly, justly and fairly and in accordance with the provisions of the act and rules.

The chief election commissioner said the order was aimed at determining the doubts and disputes arising out of or in connection with forthcoming Senate elections, and other matters arising out of or connected therewith.

Moreover, section 85 of the act provides that anything required to be done to carry out the purposes of the act for which no provision or no sufficient provision exists shall be done by such authority and in such manner as the chief election commissioner may direct.

REACTION: Meanwhile, the PML-N has sharply reacted to the new condition. Talking to Dawn, Chairman of Pakistan Muslim League-N Raja Zafarul Haque said: “It is yet another ploy of the government to deny the right to contest to those who were not present in the country or put behind the bars.”

He said in the past the proposer and seconder had to appear in person only in case their signatures were challenged by the opponents.