President Arif Alvi on Saturday promulgated a presidential ordinance to make amendments to the Election Act, 2017, to hold Senate elections through an open ballot.

According to the details, Alvi signed off "Elections(Amendment) ordinance 2021" that will come in force at once and extends to the whole Pakistan. As per the ordinance, the Senate polls shall be conducted through identifiable votes:

"Provided that in case the Supreme Court of Pakistan gives an opinion in Reference No. 1 of 2021 filed under Article 186 of the Constitution, that elections for the members of Senate do not fall within the purview of Article 226 of the Constitution, the poll for elections for members of the Senate to be held in March 2021 and thereafter shall be conducted by the Commission through open and identifiable ballot."

The provision is added as the government has sought advice from the apex court, asking for its interpretation of the relevant article. If the SC advises the government that secret balloting referred to in Article 226 also includes Senate polls, then the ordinance will not hold since a constitutional amendment will be required.

The presidential ordinance was shared by the Federal Minister for Information and Broadcast Shibli Faraz. It states that ordinance has been promulgated "in the exercise of the powers conferred by clause (1) of Article 89 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan."

The ordinance also noted that the "Senate and the National Assembly are not in session and the President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is satisfied that circumstances exist which render it necessary to take immediate action."