ECP halts Senate by-election on Murad Saeed’s vacant seat

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan on Tuesday halted the Senate by-election on the vacant seat of Murad Saeed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa after issuing a stay order.

According to official sources, the petition to stop the by-election was filed by PML-N MPA Jalal Khan.

The Election Commission heard the case and subsequently suspended the election process.

The petitioner’s counsel argued that Murad Saeed had not taken the oath for the Senate seat and that constitutional ambiguities surrounding the matter should be resolved before proceeding with the by-election.

Earlier, the ECP had scheduled the by-election for April 23 following the disqualification of Murad Saeed. However, the latest order has put the process on hold until further proceedings.

Last month, the ECP officially notified Murad Saeed’s disqualification after he was convicted by an Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) and sentenced to 10 years in prison. Based on this conviction, he was declared ineligible under Article 63(1)(h) of the Constitution, and his Senate seat was declared vacant.

Under constitutional provisions, lawmakers convicted on certain charges are disqualified from holding public office.