ECP to issue new schedule for LB polls in Punjab, Sindh

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Rejecting the Sindh government’s request of delaying the local bodies’ polls, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday decided to issue a fresh schedule on November 29 to hold elections in Sindh and Punjab on January 18 and January 30 respectively.
The decision was taken in a meeting held with Acting Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Tassaduq Hussain Jilani in the chair.
The Sindh government requested the ECP to delay LB polls until March or at least until January – the date fixed for Punjab, but the ECP rejected the request and decided to stick to the dates approved by the Supreme Court.
The meeting was convened to prepare a plan for holding the polls according to dates fixed by ECP and approved by Supreme Court.
According to the earlier schedule which now stands cancelled, polls in Sindh and Punjab were to be held on November 27 and December 7. However, later on the SC had accepted the ECP’s plea for postponement of the polls after the commission assured the court that it would conduct elections in Sindh on January 18 and in Punjab on January 30.
According to the new proposed schedule, nomination papers would be received on December 10 to 13. Scrutiny would be conducted from December 15 to 19 and appeals against decisions of returning officers (ROs) can be filed on December 20 and 21 and these would be disposed off from December 22 to 25.
Candidates can withdraw their nomination papers on December 26 and the ECP would issue final list of contesting candidates on the same day.
On November 17, Supreme Court while showing flexibility on its demand of holding elections in Sindh on November 27 and in Punjab on December 7, agreed to the commission’s proposal of holding elections on January 18 and 30.
While the ECP had apprised the court that there was no need of change of schedule for Balochistan as the commission was all set to hold polls there on December 7.
Talking to reporters, Elections DG Sher Afgan said that during the meeting, commission had directed Pakistan Printing Corporation and Security Printing Press to print required ballet papers well before time. He said that 110 million ballet papers are required for Sindh and 300 million for Punjab.
To a question, the DG said the PCIR has been directed to provide required magnetic ink to ECP while NADRA has been asked to prepare updated electoral rolls with snaps of voters. The DG said that provincial election offices would furnish voter lists to NADRA in 10 days, after which NADRA would issue final electoral lists.