ISLAMABAD – The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has taken all necessary measures to ensure transparent elections through secret polling for 37 Senate seats to be held today.
Following the decision of Supreme Court, the Commission in its statement said that the Senate elections will be held through secret ballots as per the past practice.
A meeting of the Commission, chaired by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Raja Sikandar Sultan and participated by all the members of ECP, discussed the short order of Supreme Court over the Senate elections and decided to implement the order of the apex court with through spirit.
It must be noted that the Supreme Court in its order had said that it was the legal and constitutional responsibility of the ECP to hold transparent elections and take measures including the help of the latest technology to stop the corrupt practices during the polls.
The ECP decided that it may take assistance from NADRA, FIA, Ministry of IT.
A total of 37 candidates will be elected from three provinces while all the eleven candidates for Senate from Punjab have already been elected unopposed due to the seat adjustment between the government and the opposition.
A total of eleven candidates from Sindh and twelve each from Baluchistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will be elected for which 25 candidates are in the race from KP, 26 from Baluchistan and 17 from Sindh.
Meanwhile, the ECP has assumed charge of the National Assembly as staff of ECP reached the Parliament House along with polling booths and the electoral material to make the National Assembly hall a polling station for the Senate election.
The National Assembly will elect two senators on general and women categories from Islamabad. The polling in the assembly will begin at 9:00 AM and continue till 5:00 PM.
It is relevant to mention here that 341 lawmakers of the National Assembly (NA) will participate in voting for Senate elections.
Polling will start at the Parliament House Islamabad and the provincial assemblies of Sindh, Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa at 09:00 am and will continue till 5:00 pm without any break.
Established legal pattern
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) Tuesday said due to time constraints, Senate election would be conducted as per past practice prescribed in the Constitution and law.
The commission decided in a meeting presided over ECP Chairman Sikandar Sultan Raja. ECP Member Justice (R) Altaf Ibrahim Qureshi, Justice (R) Mrs Irshad Qasir, Shah Muhammad Jatoi and Nisar Ahmed Durrani attended the meeting.
According to the ECP official, the commission after deliberating over opinion of the Supreme Court given in the Presidential Reference No.1/2020 decided to implement it in letter and spirit.
The commission was taking all possible steps and measures to fulfill its constitutional obligations for checking corrupt practices in the Senate elections, he said.
He informed that the commission had so far not received detailed order of the apex court but in its short order it had mentioned that the ECP was required to use technology and develop mechanism under Article 218(3) of the Constitution.
He said the commission could hire services of some technical organizations into the matter.
The commission had also decided to constitute a committee comprising special secretary as convenor, director general (IT) and member Saeed Gul, JPEC Punjab, member, he added.
He said the committee would prepare recommendations regarding use of technology in the Senate elections in four weeks’ time.
The committee could also seek assistance from National Database and Registration Authority, Federal Investigation Agency and information ministry, he said adding any person from the following organizations could co-opt in the committee for better recommendations.
Illegal practices
Also, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) hoped on Tuesday that the political parties, candidates, voters and election agents will not indulge in any kind of corrupt or illegal practices as pointed out in chapter-X of the Elections Act 2017.
According to an official of ECP, as per code of conduct issued for political parties, contesting candidates, election agents and voters for Senate elections 2021, they all should abide by all directions and instructions issued from time to time relating to smooth conduct of elections.
Contesting candidates, election agents and their supporters will not solicit the support or assistance of any person in the service of Pakistan or any public office to promote or hinder the election of contesting candidate in any manner.
He said that as per code of conduct the political parties, candidates, voters and election agents will not propagate any opinion, or act in any manner prejudicial to the glory of Islam and ideology of Pakistan, or the sovereignty, integrity or security of Pakistan, or morality or public order, or the integrity or independence of the Parliament, judiciary of Pakistan or which defames or brings into ridicule the Parliament, judiciary or the Armed Forces of Pakistan.
While entering the polling station, each voter will ensure that he or she does not possess mobile phone or other such electronic device or gadget which can be used to take photograph of the marked ballot paper.
For purposes of election expenses, a candidate will open an exclusive account with any branch of a scheduled bank before the date fixed for scrutiny of nomination papers and maintain, or cause to be maintained, a register of receipts and expenditures.
The candidate will not make any transaction towards the election expenses through an account other than the account opened for the purpose and a candidate may open the bank account for election expenses with an amount not exceeding the limit of election expenses provided under section 132. (Section 133 of the Elections Act, 2017)
The returned candidate will submit return of election expenses to the Returning Officer on Form C within five days from the date of election in accordance the sub-section (3) of section 123 of the Act whereas other contesting candidates will submit their election expenses on Form C to Returning Officer within thirty days of the publication of the names of the returned candidates as required under section 134 of the Act, he added.
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