The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Friday suspended the notification of former finance minister Ishaq Dar’s election as a senator. The notification was suspended in view of Supreme Court’s directives. Earlier in May, the apex court had suspended Dar’s senatorship on a temporary basis. The decision had been taken on a petition moved by Pakistan Peoples Party’s Nawazish Pirzada who requested the apex court to suspend the Lahore High Court judgement allowing Dar to contest the March 3 Senate elections. On February 17, an appellate election tribunal of the LHC had granted Dar permission to contest Senate elections, setting aside an order of the returning officer who rejected his nomination papers. Dar got elected to the Senate from Punjab but had yet to take the oath of office since he has been out of the country on health grounds. Published in Daily Times, June 30th 2018.