Senate by-election underway in Punjab

LAHORE: A by-election for the Senate seat from Punjab is being held today, which became vacant following the disqualification of former Senator Ejaz Ahmed Chaudhry.

The Punjab Assembly Hall has been designated as the polling station for this election. Provincial Election Commissioner Sharifullah is serving as the Returning Officer. The staff of Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) is present at the site and all arrangements have been completed.

Also read: ECP disqualifies Ejaz Chaudhry, Ahmed Bhachar, Ahmed Chattha

A total of 363 members of the Punjab Assembly are eligible to vote, including 289 on general seats, 66 women, and eight representing minority seats. All members are required to bring their assembly identification cards to cast their votes.

The contest is between Rana Sanaullah and Salma Ejaz. According to the spokesperson for the Provincial Election Commissioner, polling will continue without interruption from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM.

CAUSES BEHIND DISQUALIFICATION

The ECP has disqualified Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) Senator Ejaz, along with Member of the National Assembly (MNA) Mohammad Ahmed Chattha, and Member Provincial Assembly (MPA) Ahmad Khan in July this year.

The disqualification notifications were issued in the wake of a sentence handed down to the political personalities by the Anti-Terrorism Courts (ATC) in Sargodha and Lahore, in cases related to May 9 events.

The Sargodha ATC had convicted and sentenced MNA Chattha from Constituency No. NA-66 Wazirabad and MPA Khan from Constituency No. PP-87 Mianwali-lll, along with 10 years imprisonment.

Similarly, the ATC No.lll, Lahore had convicted and sentenced Senator Ejaz to 10 years imprisonment.

SENATOR EJAZ HOSPITALISED

In August, the incarcerated former senator filed an appeal in the Lahore High Court (LHC) to suspend his sentence and conviction, along with ordering his release on bail. In a second petition, he further requested the court to set aside his conviction and acquit him in the case in the “interest of justice”.

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Around the same time, he was also shifted to the Pakistan Kidney and Liver Institute in Lahore after complaints of kidney infection and gallstones.