Govt decides to hold Senate elections in February

The federal government has decided to hold Senate elections in February and invoke advisory jurisdiction of the Supreme Court on open voting for the polls. The decisions were taken by the cabinet which met here on Tuesday with Prime Minister Imran Khan in the chair.The elections are to be held for 52 seats of the upper house because as many members of the 104-member Senate will retire on March 11.

Senate Elections

Senate elections take place in accordance with Article 59 of the Constitution. Each of the four provincial assemblies shall elect in the next Senate election twenty three members from their respective provinces that include fourteen on general seats, four on seats reserved for technocrats including Ulema, four on seats reserved for women and one on seat reserved for non-Muslims. Four members i.e. two on general seats, one technocrat including Aalim and one woman are elected from the Federal Capital whereas eight members are elected from the Federally Administrated Tribal Areas (FATA) in such manner as the President may, by order prescribe.

Chairman and Deputy Chairman

After the Senate has been duly constituted, at its first meeting, it elects from amongst its members, a Chairman and Deputy Chairman. Whenever the office of the Chairman or the Deputy Chairman becomes vacant the Senate elects another member as Chairman or as the case may be, the Deputy Chairman. Term of office of the Chairman and the Deputy Chairman is three years. In the absence of the Chairman, the Deputy Chairman acts as Chairman.

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