Senate of Pakistan

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Pakistan
This article is part of the series: Politics and government of Pakistan

Constitution Government President Pervez Musharraf Prime Minister Muhammad Mian Soomro Legislature Senate Chairman of the Senate National Assembly Speaker Deputy Speaker Judiciary Supreme Judicial Council Supreme Court Chief Justice Federal Shariat Court Chief Justices Provincial High Courts Federal High Court District Courts
Political Parties Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan Muslim League (N) Pakistan Muslim League (Q) Pakistan Peoples Party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Minor Parties
Subdivisions Provincial Governors Balochistan N.W.F.P Punjab Sindh Capital Territory Tribal Areas Azad Kashmir Northern Areas
Local Government Districts Cities Union Councils
Issues Foreign relations
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The Senate of Pakistan is the upper House of the bicameral Parliament of Pakistan. The Constitution does not give the President of Pakistan the authority to dissolve the Senate (unlike the National Assembly). If the office of the President of Pakistan becomes vacant, or the President is unable to perform his functions, the Chairman of the Senate acts as President until a President is elected. There are one hundred senatorial seats. There are 18 women Senators; Pakistani Law requires that there be at least 17 women Senators. Members of the Senate are elected according to Article 59 of the Constitution: The Chairman of the Senate is Muhammad Mian Soomro (term ends in 2007).

Article 59

(1) The Senate shall consist of 100 members, of whom, -

(a) 14 shall be elected by the members of each Provincial Assembly;

(b) eight shall be elected by direct and free vote from the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, in such manner as the President may, by Order, prescribe;

(c) two on general seats, and one woman and one technocrat including aalim shall be elected from the Federal Capital in such manner as the President may, by Order, prescribe;

(d) four women shall be elected by the members of each Provincial Assembly;

(e) four technocrats including ulema shall be elected by the members of each Provincial Assembly."

(2) Election to fill seats in the Senate allocated to each Province shall be held in accordance with the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote. (3) The Senate shall not be subject to dissolution but the term of its members, who shall retire as follows, shall be six years:-

(a) of the members referred to in paragraph (a) of clause (1), seven shall retire after the expiration of the first three years and seven shall retire after the expiration of the next three years.

(b) of the members referred to in paragraph (b) of the aforesaid clause, four shall retire after the expiration of the first three years and four shall retire after the expiration of the next three years;

(i) one elected on general seat shall retire after the expiration of the first three years and the other one shall retire after the expiration of the next three years, and

(ii) one elected on the seat reserved for technocrat shall retire after first three years and the one elected on the seat reserved for woman shall retire after the expiration of the next three years;

(d) of the members referred to in paragraph (d) of the aforesaid clause, two shall retire after the expiration of the three years and two shall retire after the expiration of the next three years; and

(e) of the members referred to in paragraph (e) of the aforesaid clause, two shall retire after the expiration of the first three years and two shall retire after the expiration of the next three years: Provided that the term of office of a person elected to fill a casual vacancy shall be the unexpired term of the member whose vacancy he has filled.