ECP schedules by-election for Senate seat vacated after Irfan Siddiqui's death

• Voting to be held in Punjab Assembly.
• ECP sets polling time from 9am to 7pm.
• Candidates to submit nominations from Nov 20-21.
  

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Monday announced the schedule for the by-election on the Senate seat left vacant after the death of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Irfan Siddiqui.

The seasoned politician died on November 10, shortly after the upper house of Parliament passed the 27th Constitutional Amendment Bill, which reforms the judicial hierarchy and clarifies the titles and ranking of top judges and military leaders.

The ECP said that the by-election for the vacant Senate seat is scheduled for December 9.

Candidates may submit nomination papers from November 20 to 21 to the Returning Officer, while scrutiny will be completed by November 25, the commission stated.

The ECP has set November 29 as the last date for filing appeals against the acceptance or rejection of nomination papers.

The last date for withdrawing nomination papers is December 1, the commission added, noting that polling will take place on December 9 from 9am to 7pm in the Punjab Assembly.

Siddiqui, known as one of the closest aides to PML-N president Nawaz Sharif, was a member of the Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs.

The veteran lawmaker also served on the committees for Business Advisory, Human Rights, Information and Broadcasting, Interior and Narcotics Control, and National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination.

It is noteworthy that the 27th Amendment Bill passed through both houses of Parliament with a majority vote.

In the Senate, the Awami National Party, PTI-backed Saifullah Abro, and JUI-F’s Ahmed Khan voted in favour of the amendment from the opposition benches.