Early Senate polls, show-of-hands should not be a problem, says Shibli Faraz

ISLAMABAD: Federal information minister Shibli Faraz said Thursday early Senate polls are under consideration which is also permitted by the Constitution of Pakistan, ARY News reported.

Speaking exclusively in ARY News program Off The Record, Shibli Faraz said the government is contemplating the suggestion of holding early Senate polls and it is enshrined in the law that polls can be held a month before the date of term-end.

Faraz said the opposition should not worry on show-of-hand as the government only seeks transparency in the election exercise.

The federal minister said if show-of-hand materializes, Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz will be able to recover four of its Senators, whereas if it does not happen, then PML-N can barely get one senator at best.

He said Senate elections will steer clear opposition majority from the upper house of parliament and that’s why they are opposing the polls, early or otherwise.

There should neither be a problem with early polls nor with show-of-hand, he said and noted section 224(3) of the constitution can be referred to and implemented in former regard.

According to section 224 (3): An election to fill the seats in the Senate which are to become vacant on the expiration of the term of the members of the Senate shall be held not earlier than thirty days immediately preceding the day on which the vacancies are due to occur.

READ: Senate polls not possible through show of hands: AGP Khalid Jawed

Separately, however, earlier today the Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) Khalid Jawed Khan said that Senate elections in the country through a show of hands procedure were not possible.

Speaking exclusively with ARY News, the AGP Khalid Jawed said that government wants to hold Senate polls through a secret ballot, adding that the incumbent government has never said to hold upper house polls through a show of hands procedure.