The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Wednesday finalised arrangements for conducting by-elections on Thursday to fill six Senate seats left vacant by the Senators, who were elected to the National and provincial assemblies in the February 8 elections, state-run APP reported.

The ECP has already dispatched ballot papers and other polling materials to the provincial assemblies of Sindh and Balochistan.

Polling was being held for one seat reserved in Islamabad and two general seats in Sindh, as well as three general seats for representing Balochistan.

The polling will continue from 8 am to 4 pm at Parliament House, as well as in the buildings of the Sindh and Balochistan Assemblies.

The vacant seats comprise one in the federal capital, two in Sindh and three in Balochistan, as senators resigned upon their election as members of the National Assembly and provincial assemblies in Sindh and Balochistan.

Among those who vacated their seats, included Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani and Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri, who have joined the National Assembly following their victory in recently concluded general elections.

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Similarly, Nisar Ahmed Khoro and Jam Mehtab Hussain Dahar were elected to the Sindh Assembly, while Prince Ahmed Umer Ahmedzai and Sarfaraz Ahmed Bugti became members of the Balochistan Assembly.

Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani from the Pakistan People’s Party and Chaudhry Ilyas Meharban from the Pakistani Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) are competing in the elections for the seat reserved for the federal capital.