ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has finalized preparations for elections to the Senate, the upper house of the bicameral Pakistan parliament, scheduled to be held on April 2, Pakistani state media reported on Sunday.
Elected for a term of six years, Pakistani senators discuss laws and vote on them like other public representatives. However, half of the senators retire every three years and new ones are elected to replace them.
Pakistan’s Senate consists of 100 members, of which 52 retired this month, with polls due to on 48 vacant seats. Elections usually take place days before the senators’ terms end, but it was delayed this time due to the ECP’s failure to hold timely general elections.
Returning officers have already issued a final list of the candidates contesting elections on 48 vacant seats, while transportation of election materials to returning officers has been completed, the state-run APP news agency reported.
“Polling would be held in the National Assembly and all four provincial assemblies from 9 AM to 4 PM,” the report read.
“Ballot papers in four different colors have been printed for the Senate elections. White papers will be used for general seats, green for technocrat seats, pink for women, and yellow for minority seats.”
Of the 52 seats that fell vacant this month, elections are being held for 48 seats because four seats reserved for erstwhile federally administered tribal areas (FATA) have already been abolished after their merger with the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
A total of 147 candidates submitted their nomination papers for the 48 vacant seats, according to the ECP. Of these, 18 have been elected unopposed, including seven each from Punjab and Balochistan on general seats, two on women seats, and two on seats reserved for scholars or technocrats.
Tuesday’s polls will be held on the remaining 30 seats, in which 59 candidates are contesting.
Pakistan election regulator finalizes arrangements for Senate polls on April 2
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Pakistan election regulator finalizes arrangements for Senate polls on April 2
- A total of 147 candidates submitted their nomination papers for the 48 vacant seats, according to election commission
- Of these, 18 have been elected unopposed, including seven members each from the Punjab and Balochistan provinces
Pakistan Air Force conducts ‘Exercise Golden Eagle’ to test combat readiness, agility
- The exercise follows an intense, four-day Pakistan-India military conflict in May 2025
- It focused on AI-enabled operations integrating disruptive technologies, military says
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) has conducted “Exercise Golden Eagle” that successfully validated its combat readiness and operational agility through synchronized employment of the PAF’s complete combat potential, the Pakistani military said on Tuesday.
It comes months after Pakistan’s four-day military conflict with India in May, with Islamabad claiming victory in the standoff after the PAF claimed to have shot down at least six Indian fighter aircraft, including the French-made Rafale. New Delhi acknowledged some losses but did not specify a number.
The exercise was conducted on a Two-Force construct, focusing on AI-enabled, net-centric operations while integrating indigenous niche, disruptive and smart technologies in line with evolving regional security dynamics, according to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the Pakistani military’s media wing.
Operating within a robust Integrated Air Defense System, friendly forces shaped the battlespace through seamless fusion of kinetic operations with cyber, space and electro-magnetic spectrum operations.
“The kinetic phase featured First-Shoot, First-Kill swing-role combat aircraft equipped with long-range BVR air-to-air missiles, extended-range stand-off weapons and precision strike capabilities, supported by Airborne Early Warning & Control platforms and Air-to-Air Refuelers,” the ISPR said in a statement.
“A key highlight of the exercise was Manned–Unmanned Teaming, with deep-reach killer drones and loitering munitions operating in a highly contested, congested and degraded environment, validating PAF’s capability to conduct high-tempo operations in modern warfare.”
In recent months, many countries have stepped up defense engagement with Pakistan, while delegations from multiple nations have proposed learning from the PAF’s multi-domain air warfare capabilities that officials say were successfully employed during the May conflict.
“The successful conduct of Exercise Golden Eagle reaffirms Pakistan Air Force’s unwavering commitment to maintaining a high state of operational preparedness, leveraging indigenous innovation and effectively countering emerging and future security challenges,” the ISPR added.
