ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan suspended the polling process on FATA seats for the Senate on Thursday.
In addition, FATA Returning Officer (RO) Usman Ali has filed a request to postpone the polling for FATA seats altogether.
Meanwhile, Chief Election Commissioner Justice Sardar Raza Khan is chairing a high level meeting of the ECP to resolve this situation.
The suspension has come in the wake of a late night presidential ordinance which restricts MNAs from FATA to just one vote instead of four votes.
Sources said that FATA members were now divided into two, for and against the new ordinance.
According to the Secretary Election Commission, Sher Afghan, the polling process would only continue after the confusion over the new SRO is removed.
The EC has consulted the Law Ministry with regards to the overnight presidential decree.
President Mamnoon Hussain signed an ordinance on FATA Regulations, altering the rules for Senate elections to replace the presidential ordinance on FATA regulations issued in 2002.
With the National Assembly session prorogued on March 3, the government waited till past midnight to issue the ordinance.
The News International Pakistan
