Senate election: PM Imran Khan asks cabinet to reach out to MNAs, MPAs

• PM Imran Khan tells Cabinet he will monitor the Senate election personally
• Premier maintains PTI tickets were issued on merit
• He says his government wants to curb use of money in Senate election

ISLAMABAD: With the nomination papers of candidates filed for the Senate elections, Prime Minister Imran Khan directed his Cabinet to reach out to party MNAs and MPAs.

In a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, PM Imran asked his ministers to contact people with whom they have personal relations for the upcoming Senate election.

The premier told the Cabinet that the PTI had issued tickets on merit in the Senate election as the PTI respects the views of its workers.

“We want to curb the use of money in [the] Senate election,” the premier said. He said he would personally monitor election matters.

Read more: PM Imran Khan cancels all official engagements to review Senate ticket fiasco

The PM’s statement came on the day the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) started the scrutiny of nomination papers submitted by candidates for the March 3 Senate elections. The process will be completed today.

A total of 170 candidates have filed their nomination papers with the ECP. These include 29 from Punjab, 39 from Sindh, 51 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 41 from Balochistan and 10 from the federal capital.

So far, PPP's Sherry Rehman's nomination papers have been accepted for the general seat and Palwasha Khan's for the women's seat.

The nomination papers of PPP's Saleem Mandviwala and Sadiq Memon have also been accepted.

Read more: Opposition will cry if open balloting is not held in Senate elections, says PM Imran Khan

Similarly, Finance Minister Abdul Hafeez Shaikh, Special Assistant to Prime Minister Dr Sania Nishtar, and MQM-P's Faisal Sabzwari's nomination papers have also been accepted.

The returning officer (RO) has reserved the verdict in a plea filed by PTI seeking the rejection of the candidate papers of former prime minister Yusuf Raza Gilani.

ECP prepares code of conduct

A code of conduct has been prepared by the ECP to ensure transparency in the Senate polls.

It has to be followed by political parties, candidates, voters and election agents, read a statement issued by the commission.

Read more: PTI finalises Faisal Vawda, Sania Nishtar and others as candidates for Senate elections

ECP has invited political parties to consult on the code of conduct on February 22.

A code of conduct for transparency in the Senate elections will be issued after consultation, the statement notified.