Senate Elections in Pakistan – Explained

Term of Membership:

The Senate is a permanent legislative body which symbolizes a process of continuity in the national affairs. The term of its members is six years. However, one-half of its members retire after every three years.
Note: A casual vacancy in the Senate, caused by resignation, death, incapacitation, disqualification or removal of a member, is filled through election by the respective electoral college and the member so elected holds office for the un-expired term of the member whose vacancy (s)he has filled.

Chairman and Deputy Chairman:

After the Senate has been duly constituted, at its first meeting, it elects, from amongst its members, a Chairman and a Deputy Chairman. Whenever the office of the Chairman or the Deputy Chairman becomes vacant, the Senate elects another member as Chairman or as the case may be, the Deputy Chairman. Term of office of the Chairman and the Deputy Chairman is three years. In absence of the Chairman, the Deputy Chairman acts as Chairman. The Chairman or the Deputy Chairman can be removed from the office by means of a resolution moved by a member under Article 61 read with paragraph ( c ) of clause (7) of Article 53. The Chairman or, as the case may be, the Deputy Chairman cannot preside the meeting of the Senate in which a resolution for his removal from office is being considered. At the commencement of each session, the Chairman nominates, from amongst its members, in an order of precedence a panel of not more than three presiding officers. In absence of the Chairman and the Deputy Chairman, a member of the panel present, having precedence, presides over the sitting of the Senate.

Summoning and Prorogation of the Senate:

The President, from time to time, summons either House or both the Houses of Parliament under Article 54(1) of the Constitution. However, the Chairman, Senate can also, under Article 54(3), summon the Senate on a requisition of one-fourth of the total membership of the House. In either case the Secretary Senate causes a notification to be published in the Gazette stating date, time and place of the meeting and also cause it to be issued to each member. Its announcement over the radio/TV and in the Press is also made. Likewise, a notification with regard to prorogation of the Senate is also published in the Gazette. Each session of the Senate starts from the date of commencement of its first sitting and concludes when the House is prorogued by the President or the Chairman, as the case may be.

Quorum:

One-fourth of the total membership of the Senate must be there to maintain quorum. Under Article 55(2) of the Constitution, if at any time during a sitting of the Senate, the attention of the Chairman is drawn to the fact that less than one-fourth of the total membership of the Senate is present, the Chairman suspends the business and causes the bells to be rung for five minutes. But if no quorum is available even when the bells stop ringing, the Chairman adjourns the sitting.