Senate elections to be held on March 3

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Monday announced that the Senate elections will be held on March 3.

Nomination papers for the elections can be submitted from February 4-6 and they will be scrutinised by February 9.

A total of 52 senators are set to complete their term this year. Four senators will be elected on general seats from FATA, 11 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan each, and 12 each from Sindh and Punjab.

One general and one technocrat senator will be elected from Islamabad.

Eighteen of the 26 Pakistan People’s Party senators including Senate Chairman Raza Rabbani, Opposition Leader Aitzaz Ahsan, Taj Haider and Farhatullah Babar will be retiring this year.

Nine out of 27 Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz senators will be retiring, including former finance minister Ishaq Dar.

The Senate:

Senate constitutes a total of 104 members — 23 each from the four provinces, eight from FATA and four from Islamabad. The 23 provincial seats have 14 general, and four each for women and technocrats, one for minorities.

Half of the Senate retires after every three years, while the total term for a senator is six years.