Opposition rift emerges over joint candidate for Senate polls

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has formally notified the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assembly about arrangements for the Senate by-election scheduled for April 23, directing all members to bring their original CNIC and Assembly membership cards when casting votes. In an official letter sent to the Assembly Secretariat, the ECP stated that the by-election for the vacant Senate seat will be held on April 23. The commission has instructed the Secretariat to inform all MPAs that it is mandatory to produce both their Computerized National Identity Card (CNIC) and Assembly membership card at the time of voting. MPAs have been advised to ensure they carry both documents with them. Meanwhile, differences have surfaced within the opposition parties over fielding a joint candidate for the Senate by-election. The Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) have failed to reach an agreement, while the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has withdrawn from the contest. The opposition parties had initially decided to field a consensus candidate for the vacant Senate seat. Nomination papers were submitted by JUI-F's Maulana Abdul Haseeb, PPP's Raheela Bibi, and PML-N's Asghar. A parliamentary committee recently interviewed the candidates and directed the PPP nominee to withdraw her papers. However, both JUI-F and PML-N stood firm on their respective candidates, and no agreement could be reached between the two parties.