SENATE CANDIDATES CAN RETIRE FROM CONTEST A DAY BEFORE THE POLL
…….Kanwar Muhammad Dilshad,
Secretary, Election Commission
Islamabad, the 23rd February, 2009.- Kanwar Muhammad Dilshad, Secretary, Election Commission of Pakistan has drawn attention of the Contesting Candidates for Senate Elections to the provisions of Rule 7A of the Senate (Election) Rules, 1975, which read as under:
“7A. Retirement of contesting candidate.- (1) A contesting candidate may, by notice in writing signed by him and delivered to the Returning Officer by 12 Noon on the day immediately preceding the polling day, either in person or by an agent authorized by him in writing in this behalf, retire from the election.
(2) A notice under sub-rule (1) shall, in no circumstances, be open to recall or cancellation.
(3) On receiving a notice of retirement under sub-rule (1), the Returning Officer shall, if he is satisfied that the signature on the notice is that of the candidate, cause a copy of the notice to be affixed at some conspicuous place in his office and thereupon such candidate shall cease to be a contesting candidate.”
2. Secretary, Election Commission has stated that in view of the above provisions of law, the candidates for Election to Senate from NWFP for Seats Reserved for Women and Technocrats/Ulema and from Balochistan for all three Categories of Seats as well as from Federal Capital for Seat Reserved for Women and FATAs for General Seats can retire from contest within the stipulated period.
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