PPP's Gillani, SIC's Meharban to contest on Islamabad Senate seat

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP)’s Yousaf Raza Gillani and Sunni Ittehad Council’s (SIC) Ilyas Meharban will contest in Senate by election on a vacant seat from Islamabad, ARY News reported on Monday.

Returning Officer Zafar Iqbal issued Form 54 about the by election candidates.

The Senate by election will be held for six seats of the upper house in Islamabad, Sindh and Balochistan on March 14 (Thursday).

According to the election commission, polling will be held at the upper house of parliament as well as at Sindh and Balochistan assemblies in Karachi and Quetta from 9:00am to 4:00pm on Thursday.

These seats in the general category fell vacant in the federal capital, two in Sindh, and three in Balochistan as senators relinquished their seats, following their election as members of the National Assembly as well as provincial assemblies of Sindh and Balochistan.

Earlier, People’s Party decided to nominate Yousaf Raza Gillani as its candidate for Senate chairman’s office and he was asked to relinquish the NA seat from Multan.

Sources said that Gillani will contest the Senate election on the People’s Party ticket and will be the party’s candidate for chairman of the upper house.

Moreover, a total of 50 senate members are expected to retire on March 11 (today) after completion of their six-yearly term.

The election on 48 vacant seats of the Senate is expected to be held in the first week of April. Elected members from national and provincial assemblies will vote for senators.