The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has issued a fresh notification for the Senate elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab, setting the stage for long-delayed polling on several general, women, and technocrat/ulema seats.
According to the notification, polling for 7 general seats, 2 women's seats, and 2 technocrat/ulema seats in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will take place in the KP Assembly on July 21, 2025. These elections were previously postponed on April 2, 2024, due to the incomplete electoral college caused by the Speaker’s refusal to administer the oath to members elected on reserved seats.
Additionally, the election schedule has been announced for the Senate seat vacated by Sania Nishtar. A public notice will be issued on July 9, nomination papers may be submitted on July 10 and 11, scrutiny will be conducted on July 16, and polling is scheduled for July 31.
Similarly, a revised schedule has been released for the Senate seat left vacant by the late Senator Sajid Mir, which was also delayed due to an incomplete electoral college. The Returning Officer will issue a revised candidate list on July 15, and candidates may withdraw their papers by July 16. Polling for this seat will also be held on July 21 in the Punjab Assembly.
The ECP has also announced the election program for two vacant women’s seats of the PML-N from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the National Assembly. A public notice will be issued on July 8, nomination papers can be submitted on July 9 and 10, scrutiny will be done on July 14, and the final list of candidates will be published on July 24.
As the PML-N’s previous priority list has been exhausted, a new list must be submitted to the Priority List Counting Officer by July 10.
To ensure a complete electoral process, the ECP has sent letters to the Speakers of the National and Provincial Assemblies, urging them to administer oaths to members elected on reserved seats, as per the notification issued on July 2, 2025. This step is crucial for enabling the full participation of elected members in the upcoming Senate elections.