ISLAMABAD: In a bid to ensure that maximum votes are cast, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Friday extended the polling time for an hour in the upcoming general elections.
An ECP notification said that polling would start at 8am and will end at 6pm on July 25— a total of 10 hours. There would be no recess during the stipulated time, the statement said.
The ECP’s directives come in the wake of a plea filed by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) demanding an increase in polling time due to the hot and humid weather conditions. The ECP had earlier refused the request.
In the letter, PTI Spokesperson Fawad Chaudhry had stressed that people avoided coming out of their homes between noon and 4 pm when heat intensity is at its peak.