ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Monday announced the schedule for the by-election on the Senate seat left vacant following the death of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Irfan Siddiqui.
Siddiqui passed away on November 10, just hours after the Senate approved the 27th Constitutional Amendment Bill, which reforms the judicial hierarchy and clarifies the titles and ranking of top judges and military leaders.
According to the ECP, candidates may submit their nomination papers to the Returning Officer on November 20 and 21, while scrutiny will be completed by November 25. The last date for filing appeals against the acceptance or rejection of nomination papers is November 29.
The commission added that candidates may withdraw their papers until December 1, with polling to be held on December 9 from 9am to 7pm in the Punjab Assembly.
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Siddiqui, a close aide of PML-N president Nawaz Sharif, served on the Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and was also a member of several key committees, including Business Advisory, Human Rights, Information and Broadcasting, Interior and Narcotics Control, and National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination.
The 27th Amendment Bill was passed by both houses of Parliament with a majority vote, receiving support from the Awami National Party, PTI-backed Saifullah Abro and JUI-F’s Ahmed Khan from the opposition benches.
