By Sajjad Hussain
ISLAMABAD : The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Wednesday issued an updated schedule for elections after it had decided to comply with the Supreme Court’s (SC) order to hold elections in Punjab on May 14.
The schedule delineated that nomination papers for the elections would not be accepted anew adding that objections filed on only old nomination papers would be addressed.
The date for appealing against the decision of returning officers was fixed at April 10 and the Election Tribunal would decide on the appeals until April 17. Following this, a new candidate list would be issued and candidates were given April 19 as the last date to withdraw their nomination papers. Finally, the ECP would issue election symbols on April 20.
Earlier, a consultative meeting held under the chair of Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja to deliberate upon the Supreme Court’s (SC)’s decision regarding the elections decided to hold polls as per the direction of the top court.
Sources said the participants in the meeting also decided to consult the Punjab government for administrative and security matters.
Earlier, the electoral watchdog reviewed the verdict given by the three-member bench of the Supreme Court at the meeting.
The ECP lawyers briefed and also discussed the legal aspects and prospects of the implementation on the apex court’s decision. The electoral watchdog’s decision about the delay in holding polls in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was nullified by the court on Tuesday.
The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Tuesday declared the order of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) regarding delay in elections in Punjab null and void, ordering polls on May 14.
Apex court’s three-member bench, headed by Chief Justiece Umar Ata Bandial and comprising Justice Munib Akhtar and Justice Ijazul Ahsan, issued the unanimous verdict reserved on Monday after hearing arguments from parties concerned.
It also ruled that the ECP carried out an unconstitutional act by delaying the polls.
