The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has deferred the Senate election for a general seat from the Punjab Assembly following a request from the assembly, citing an incomplete electoral college. The election, originally scheduled for August 21, 2025, was intended to fill the vacancy left by the disqualification of Senator Ijaz Chaudhry. The ECP will announce a new date for the election at a later time.
In a separate development, the Peshawar High Court has restrained the ECP from conducting a by-election in the NA-1 Chitral constituency until a pending case is resolved. The court issued notices to the Attorney General and the ECP, directing them to halt the by-election process pending its decision. During the hearing, the petitioner’s counsel argued that the National Assembly Speaker had sent a disqualification reference to the ECP without prior notice. The ECP, in turn, issued a notice and disqualified the petitioner, Abdul Latif, a former National Assembly member from NA-1 Chitral, without a hearing. The court adjourned the case until August 20, 2025.