ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) will meet today (Saturday) to deliberate upon the Lahore High Court (LHC) decision to declare the nomination papers null and void, directing the electoral body to prepare the same afresh.Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Justice Sardar Muhammad Raza has summoned the emergency meeting of the Election Commission here at the Election Commission Secretariat at 11:00am.“The Election Commission has also called for early provision of the court order so that the forum could deliberate upon it and then implement it after pondering over possible implications of the same,” a senior official of the ECP said.The court has directed the Election Commission to incorporate conditions, ‘enunciated’ in articles 62 and 63 of the Constitution in the nomination papers.The official maintained that besides the court order, the Election Commission would also take stock of the situation arising out of the courts declaring delimitation of Quetta's eight constituencies null and void as well as those of some other districts.Meanwhile, the ECP has also issued a schedule for submission of nomination papers by those who intend to contest on the reserved seats for women and the seats reserved for non-Muslims.The electoral body has directed that the nomination papers would be filed with the returning officer concerned from June 02 to June 06. Moreover, political parties are also directed to submit the priority lists of candidates for the women and non-Muslims’ reserved seats by June 06 under Section 104 of the Elections Act, 2017.For 33 reserved seats of women from Punjab in the National Assembly and 66 Punjab Assembly’s reserved seats for women and eight seats of non-Muslims, separate priority lists must be submitted to the office of the Punjab provincial election commissioner.Likewise, for 14 reserved seats of women from Sindh in the National Assembly and 29 reserved seats of women in the Sindh Assembly as well as nine seats of non-Muslims, separate priority lists must be submitted to the office of Sindh provincial election commissioner. Moreover, for four reserved seats of women in the National Assembly from Balochistan, 11 reserved seats of women in Balochistan Assembly and three for non-Muslims, priority lists must be submitted to Balochistan provincial election commissioner office.For nine reserved seats of women in the National Assembly from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and 22 reserved seats of women in KP Assembly and three reserved seats for non-Muslims, separate priority lists must be submitted to KP provincial election commissioner office and for 10 reserved seats for non-Muslims in the National Assembly, priority lists must be filed in the office of the additional director general at the Election Commission.Meanwhile, the Election Commission has issued a new statement, saying that the court order was an endorsement of the stance of the ECP, which was presented before the Parliamentary Committee on Electoral Reforms that the nomination forms be made part of the election rules and the electoral body should have the right to frame it or amend it.However, the Election Commission noted that that stance was put aside by the committee and the nomination form was made part of the Elections Act instead. The Election Commission has asked the returning officers not to receive nomination forms on June 02 in view of the new situation.
06-02-2018, 05:56 PM
ECP discusses LHC verdict on nomination papers today
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