Sunni Ittehad Council files petition to delay Senate heads’ election

PESHAWAR: In a significant move, Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) Chairman Mohammad Hamid Raza has formally approached the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), seeking a postponement of the upcoming elections scheduled for April 9, aimed at electing the Senate chairman and deputy chairman.

Submitting a petition through senior counsel Hamid Khan, Raza has cited compelling reasons for the postponement, arguing that the elections should be rescheduled to a later date following the completion of Senate polls in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Fawad Chaudhry released from jail

The petition contends that the election of Senate chairman and deputy chairman hinges upon the prior fulfillment of the 11 vacant Senate seats from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, as mandated by the Constitution.

The postponement plea follows the ECP directive to defer the elections for the 11 seats in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which were initially scheduled for April 2.

The decision was based on the absence of sworn-in members from the provincial assembly, resulting in an incomplete electoral college and rendering the Senate election arrangements unfeasible.

The absence of elected members, in turn, can be attributed to the refusal of the provincial assembly to take oath from the elected candidates. The provincial government contends that the seats in concern belong to candidates from SIC, despite the Peshawar High Court (PHC) constitutionally awarding the seats to the opposition parties.

Six more judges appointed for hearing election appeals

Furthermore, the petition denounces the postponement of the Senate seats election in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as a blatant violation of the Constitution.

It also draws attention to the legal proceedings initiated by SIC, including a writ petition filed before the PHC challenging the ECP’s decision [which was subsequently dismissed on March 25]. The matter is currently pending before the Supreme Court, with SIC having filed a civil petition for leave to appeal against the PHC’s ruling.