The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has scheduled the by-election for the vacant Senate general seat from Balochistan on March 8.
This seat became available following the resignation of Mohammad Qasim Ronjho, a senator affiliated with the Balochistan National Party (Mengal), who stepped down last week at the behest of the party leader. Ronjho’s resignation came after he cast his vote in favor of the 26th constitutional amendment during a joint parliamentary session in October 2024, which was against the party’s directives.
Sardar Akhtar Mengal, the chief of BNP-M, instructed Ronjho to resign due to his breach of party discipline. Ronjho had been nominated by his party for this Senate seat during the elections held on April 2, 2024.
In an interesting turn of events, Naseema Shah, a female senator from BNP-M, also supported the 26th amendment contrary to party orders, yet she continues to serve her role in parliament.
Farid Afridi, the provincial election commissioner of Balochistan, has been designated as the returning officer for this by-election.
On Monday, the ECP released a notice detailing the timeline for the by-election process. Nomination papers will be collected on February 18 and 19. Following this, a list of candidates is expected to be published on February 20, with the scrutiny of nomination papers concluding by February 22. Appeals regarding any accepted or rejected nominations will be heard on February 25 and resolved by February 27.
A revised candidate list will be made public on February 28, and candidates will have until March 1 to withdraw their nominations. The polling day is confirmed for March 8.
