ISLAMABAD-
Members National Assembly (MNAs) from Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) on Thursday challenged the presidential ordinance concerning the voting procedure in senate elections in the Supreme Court (SC) as well as the Islamabad High Court (IHC).
The petition filed in the courts stated that the ordinance should be reversed and the FATA Senate elections be carried out as per the voting method adopted in previous elections.
Late Wednesday night, withdrawing the Statutory Regulatory Order of July 7, 1975, and a 2002 executive order issued by former president General (retd) Pervez Musharraf, President Mamnoon Hussain issued the presidential ordinance that permits FATA MNAs to cast only one vote.
Musharraf’s ordinance had given each Tribal senator votes equal to the number of vacant seats.
Despite the promulgation of the ordinance, the Election Commission of Pakistan adhered to the old voting procedure today, causing confusion.
The move was strongly condemned by the FATA MNAs who claimed that the ruling Pakistan Muslim League- Nawaz (PMLN) got the ordinance issued to get their senators elected from FATA.