Barring five, ECP issues notifications to successful Senate candidates

ISLAMABAD: Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Friday formally notified candidates, except five senators-elect who are accused of possessing dual nationalities, of their success in the Senate elections conducted on March 3.

The affected are four senators-elect from Punjab — Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s Chaudhry Sarwar, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N)’s Haroon Akhtar, Nuzhat Sadiq and the prime minister’s sister, Sadia Abbasi — and one from Balochistan — Khuda Babar.

Names of the five senators-elect were withheld in light of the Supreme Court’s orders regarding the matter of dual nationality.

Earlier this week, the SC had ordered the commission to withhold the notifications of senators-elect who possess dual nationality until they are able to prove they have surrendered all other nationalities except their Pakistani nationality, as claimed in their affidavits submitted to the ECP.

The SC observed that the case regarding candidates for senators believed to be holding dual nationalities will be heard on March 10 so that it can be made sure that only ‘eligible legislators’ are in the position to vote in the upcoming election for Senate chairman on March 12.

The court ordered the newly elected senators to present their affidavits stating that they had renounced their foreign nationalities before contesting the recent Senate elections.

According to the order, candidates Chaudhry Mohammad Sarwar, Nuzhat Sadiq, Sadia Abbasi and Haroon Akhtar are required to submit authenticated and duly certificated copies of documents to substantiate their respective claims.