Islamabad, Polling for the vacant seats of the Senate is currently in progress in Islamabad and across various provinces in Pakistan. The election process started at the National Assembly hall in the federal capital for the selection of two senators.

According to Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, the candidates in Islamabad include Ishaq Dar of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Raja Ansar Kayani of the Sunni Ittehad Council competing for the technocrat seat. The general seat sees Rana Mahmood ul Hassan of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Farzand Hussain Shah of the Sunni Ittehad Council in contention.

In Punjab, the electoral exercise is focused on two seats each for women and technocrats, as well as one minority seat. Meanwhile, in Sindh, a total of nineteen candidates are battling for twelve seats, comprising seven general seats, two for women, two for technocrats/Ulema, and one for non-Muslim representatives.

The polling is set to continue uninterrupted until four in the afternoon, allowing ample time for the casting of votes.

However, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the polling for eleven senate seats has not commenced due to a pending decision from the Peshawar High Court regarding the oath-taking of Members of the Provincial Assembly (MPAs) on reserved seats.

The current Senate elections are a crucial element of Pakistan’s parliamentary democracy, filling key vacancies and shaping the legislative future of the country.