The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has taken a significant step by sending a letter to the Senate Secretariat, urging the declaration of Sadiq Sanjrani's Senate seat as vacant.
This move comes following Sanjrani's recent election as a member of the Balochistan Assembly.
The ECP letter states that the Senate chairman had become a member of the provincial assembly, after which his seat in the Upper House of Parliament should be declared vacant.
According to reports, Sadiq Sanjrani's eligibility to vote in the presidential election hinges upon him taking the oath as a member of the Balochistan Assembly. Until this requirement is fulfilled, he will not be able to exercise his voting rights in the upcoming presidential election. "To be a voter in the presidential election, one must have taken an oath as a member of a provincial assembly," the letter added.
Sanjrani's success in securing a seat in the provincial assembly was confirmed through a notification issued by the election commission. However, constitutional experts have pointed out that since February 16, when Sanjrani won the provincial assembly seat, he ceased to be a member of the Senate. "Sanjrani has not taken oath as an MPA yet," it stressed,
Petition seeking de-seating of Sanjrani dismissed
Meanwhile, the Lahore High Court has dismissed a petition filed against Sadiq Sanjrani holding the Senate chairman office while winning the recent election as an MPA, upholding the objections raised against the petition's admissibility.
The petitioner argued that Sanjrani's continued tenure as chairman of the Senate was unlawful following his election to the provincial assembly. However, the court ruled against the petitioner's plea.
Justice Shahid Bilal Hassan heard a petition filed by a citizen, Mashkoor Hussain. The petitioner had made Sanjrani, the election commission, and others respondents. The petitioner maintained that Sanjrani had won the election as an MPA, and a notification for his victory had been issued by the election commission. Therefore, the application said, him retaining the Senate chairman office was against the law.
The petitioner requested that the election commission order Sadiq Sanjrani's seat as a senator be declared vacant. The court upheld the objection of the Registrar's Office regarding jurisdiction and declared the petition inadmissible.
