F.P. Report
LAHORE: Issuing an interim order today (Saturday), the Supreme Court of Pakistan has ordered the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to issue victory notifications of five senators-elect believed to be holding dual nationalities.
During hearing of a suo motu case regarding civil servants holding dual nationality on Monday, Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar had ordered the Election Commission of Pakistan to withhold the notifications of senators-elect who allegedly hold dual citizenship.
The five senators-elect include Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s (PTI) Chaudhry Sarwar, PML-N’s Nuzhat Sadiq, Haroon Akhtar, Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi’s sister Sadia Abbasi and and independent candidate Khuda Babar from Balochistan.
The apex court has also decided to form a seven-member larger bench to look into the case, keeping constitutional points regarding dual nationality in view.
Yesterday, the Election Commission of Pakistan issued notifications of 47 senators-elect who emerged victorious in Senate election 2018.
The notification was issued after ECP released the details regarding the expenses of Senate elections. Fifty-two senators were elected from across Pakistan in Senate election held on March 3, 2018.
Candidates backed by PML-N won 15 of the 52 seats up for grabs, overtaking Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) as the biggest group in the upper house.
In the elections held for 52 seats in the Upper House, the PML-N and allies took their Senate tally to 46, becoming the largest party in Senate too. PML-N won 11 seats from Punjab and two each from Islamabad and KPK. PPP, winning 10 seats from Sindh and 2 from KPK, managed12 seats.
PTI bagged 5 seats from KPK and one from Punjab. Two candidates of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-F, Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party and National Party each, one candidate from each of the MQM, Jamaat-i-Islami and PML-F returned successful on the 52 of the 104 Senate seats. In addition, 12 of the seats went to the independent candidates.
