Barbs fly in Senate over issuance of election schedule.

ISLAMABAD -- The Senate on ThuArsday saw the PTI continuing with its policy of targeting the Election ComAmission of Pakistan, this time over issuance of poll schedule for a Senate seat from Sindh before it was officially notified as vacant by the secretariat of the upper house of parliament.

PTI leader Azam Khan Swati, while raising the issue, termed the ECP 'more loyal than the king' and said that ECP's act of issuing a schedule for election on a seat that fell vacant owing to death of PPP's Dr Sikandar Mandhro, was 'highly condemnable'.

He talked about decorum and traditions of the house and said the schedule should have been issued after a notification as per procedure.

'We must get rid of such an election commission and seek resignation from all of them (CEC and ECP members),' he said.

It is worth noting that Mr Swati was one of two ministers who tendered written apologies before the commAeAnAcement of contempt proceedings agaAiAnst them, triggered by his tirade agaiAnst the ECP during PTI's days in power.

Former prime minister and PPP leader Senator Yousaf Raza Gilani critAicised the trend of blaming institutions and said Mr Mandhro was a PPP senator and no one should try to take advantage of the matter. 'If there is a concern, it does not mean you start criticising institutions.' He noted that the Senate secretariat could always communicate with the ECP. 'Playing to the galleries is inappropriate,' he said.

Referring to PTI's claims about an international...