Sindh government has opposed voting via open balloting in the upcoming Senate elections.
As per details, Sindh government has submitted a written response against the Presidential Reference seeking feedback from Supreme Court (SC) on open ballot voting procedure for the Senate elections.
In its response, Sindh government has opposed the open ballot voting procedure for the upcoming Senate elections contending that the Presidential Reference was filed out of political expediency and that it lacks any substantial legal provision.
Sindh government has stressed upon the fact that Senate elections are conducted in accordance with Articles 59, 219 and 226 of the Constitution of Pakistan, along with Election Act 2017 further lays out the process for the voting process in the upper house – both of them have no provisions for open balloting in the Senate elections.
It is to be noted that Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have supported the Presidential Reference and open ballot voting in Senate elections.
The development comes as earlier, President Arif Alvi on PM Imran Khan’s recommendation, had issued a Presidential Reference under Article 186 of the Constitution seeking Supreme Court’s guidance for conducting Senate elections via open ballot voting.
The Presidential Reference seeks to amend Section 122 (6) of the Election Act, 2017 in order to conduct Senate elections by open ballot.
