Senate passes resolution for same-day elections

ISLAMABAD: Senate of Pakistan on Monday passed a resolution to hold simultaneous elections in the National and four provincial assemblies by majority, ARY News reported. 

Supreme Court in its April 4 verdict, ordered the finance ministry to release Rs21 billion to the Election Commission of Pakistan for the Punjab election.

The resolution was tabled by Senator Tahir Bizenjo in the Senate session chaired by its chairman Sadiq Sanjrani.

According to the resolution, political stability is essential for economic stability in the country, for which elections in NA and provincial assemblies must be held on the same day۔

The resolution said that elections in Punjab alone would have a negative impact on other provinces while holding elections in centre and provinces at the same time would strengthen the federation۔

Read more: Ishaq Dar presents Election Charge Expenditure Bill 2023 in NA

Senator Tahir Bizenjo further said in the resolution that Pakistan could not afford further political instability۔ We need to work for national stability instead of confrontation, he added۔

The resolution was passed with a majority, while opposition members protested and surrounded the chair of the Senate chairman.

Earlier in the day, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar presented Election Charge Expenditure Bill 2023 before National Assembly (NA), which was moved by speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf to a concerned committee.