Business Recorder
ISLAMABAD: In an allegedly controversial move, the electoral body, Tuesday, postponed by-election on a Senate seat that fell vacant due to the disqualification of Murad Saeed from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), on an application moved by a Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) lawmaker, only two days before the said by-poll was scheduled tomorrow (Thursday). “The matter requires detailed discussion and assistance, therefore, the office is directed to issue notices to all the contesting candidates and necessary parties for appearance and assistance on the question of law raised by the applicant,” read a written order issued by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) after hearing an application moved by Jalal Khan, the Member Provincial Assembly (MPA), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, who belongs to PML-N. Headed by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja, a three-member ECP bench heard the application that sought suspension of the Senate by-election on the aforementioned seat “in the light of a constitutional anomaly.” During the hearing of the case, the petitioner, along with his counsel Barrister Yaseen Raza Khan, appeared before the ECP bench to argue that the ECP’s decision to declare as vacant the aforementioned Senate was not legally valid keeping in view that Saeed had not taken oath as a senator from the said seat in the first place. “In the present case, no lawful vacancy has ever existed because Mr Murad Saeed never took oath, nor entered upon office, therefore, he never became a member of the Senate in the constitutional sense,” argued the counsel. The ECP bench accepted the petition, and adjourned the case till this 7 May. Conspicuously, this case was originally fixed for hearing on 20 April (Monday) before the ECP de-listed the said case “in view of the official notification issued by the federal government regarding work from home in Islamabad for 20 April 2026.” However, the bench rescheduled this case for hearing on 21 April (Tuesday) despite that the federal government continued the work from home policy for Tuesday too. It worth a mention here that PTI has fielded Irfan Saleem for the said Senate general seat from KP, whereas other mainstream political parties are yet to announce their respective candidates. Regarded as a loyalist of PTI founder and former prime minister Imran Khan, Saleem is rated as a potential contender for the aforementioned Senate slot keeping in view the PTI’s strength in the KP provincial legislature. Allegedly, the ECP’s decision to postpone the by-election aims at blocking Saleem’s way to the Upper House of the Parliament. On the last month’s seventh, an anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Rawalpindi handed Saeed 10-year sentence in a 9 May riots case. Following this, the ECP, earlier this month, notified his disqualification and his seat as vacant, scheduling the related by-election on 23 April. Saeed was elected to the Senate on the KP seat in July last year. He is presently in hiding amidst reported life threats he faces from some powerful quarters. Although Saeed did not take oath as senator due to him being in hiding, he issued a reported letter from an undisclosed location announcing to quit the Senate in protest to what he said was denial of proper medical care to Khan, the ex-PM. The resignation was not accepted by Chairman Senate Yousaf Raza Gilani reportedly because its authenticity was not verified. Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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