ISLAMABAD: Any person in service of Pakistan shall not promote or hinder the election of a contesting candidate in any manner or render support to any candidate in any form whatsoever, reads a new provision in the code of conduct for Senate elections issued by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

This provision was not part of the eight-point code of conduct issued by the ECP back in February 2021, for March 2021 Senate elections.

The nine-point code of conduct for next month’s Senate polls, like the previous code, bars the President of Pakistan and governors of the provinces from taking part in Senate election campaigns “in any manner whatsoever and shall not use their respective offices as well as houses in connection therewith.”

While entering the polling station, each voter shall ensure that he or she does not possess mobile phone or other such electronic device or gadget which can be used to take photograph of the marked ballot paper, the code of conduct reads.

Since March 11, the Upper House of the Parliament is dysfunctional with the retirement of 52 senators who completed their term including chairman, deputy chairman, leader of the house and leader of the opposition.

On March 14, by-elections were held on six Senate seats but the candidates who won these polls cannot take oath till new Senate set-up is in place after the upcoming April 2 elections.

The Senate elections are being held on 48 seats; 12 seats of Punjab and Sindh each, 11 seats of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan each, and two seats of Islamabad.

Each province has seven general seats and two seats each reserved for women and Ulema/technocrats where Senate elections are being held.

In Punjab and Sindh, elections are scheduled on one seat each reserved for non-Muslims.

Islamabad has two seats; general and Ulema/technocrats, where elections are scheduled.

Overall, the Senate elections are taking place on 29 general seats, 9 Ulema/technocrats seats, eight women seats and two non-Muslim seats, according to ECP.

Previously, the Senate had 104 seats which are being reduced phase-wise to 96 seats—with four Senate seats been abolished in 2021 Senate elections—reducing the Senate’s strength to 100 seats — and four seats being abolished in the upcoming Senate elections — in accordance with 25th Amendment that envisages abolition of eight seats of erstwhile Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) in Senate due to Fata’s merger into KP.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024