Sadiq Sanjrani supports Senate elections through open ballot

ISLAMABAD: Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani has supported the presidential reference seeking the opinion of the Supreme Court about holding Senate polls with open ballot, ARY News reported.

In his reply submitted in the Supreme Court (SC), Sadiq Sanjrani said that Senate elections are held through secret ballot as per Election Act 2017. As per article 226 all elections under the Constitution, other than those of the Prime Minister and the Chief Minister, shall be by secret ballot, Sanjrani stated in his written reply.

The court has always interpreted the constitution of the country by keeping the public interest in view. “The Parliament has the prerogative to make amendments in the law, while the Supreme Court has right to interpret the constitution.”

Chairman Senate maintained that elected representatives are bound to party discipline and those voting against the party in the Senate polls should have the courage to do it openly.

Last week, in its reply submitted with the Supreme Court of Pakistan, the ECP had rejected the possibility of holding Senate polls through the open ballot and said that the Senate elections would be held as per the constitution of 1973.

It is to be mentioned here that the federal government has moved Supreme Court to seek its opinion over holding Senate elections through open ballot.

A five-judge larger bench, headed by Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed and comprising of Justice Mushir Alam, Justice Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Ijaz ul Ahsan and Justice Yahya Afridi is currently hearing the presidential reference.