ISLAMABAD: The offices of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and District Returning Officers and Returning Officers will remain open today (10th of June, Sunday)!
According to an official of ECP, the decision was made to facilitate the interesting candidates to easily collect and file their nomination papers with the Returning Officers.
He said that the commission has already extended the last date for filing of nomination papers from June 8 to June 11 to facilitate political parties.
He added the commission has fixed June 11 as last date for filing of nomination papers for candidates of seats reserved for Women and non-Muslims while it has also extended the date by June 11 for submission of priority lists of candidates for seats reserved for Women and non-Muslims.
He said that the ECP has advised to separately submit the priority lists with the office of Provincial Election Commissioner Punjab for 33 National Assembly reserved seats for women from Punjab province besides 66 Provincial Assembly Punjab reserved seats and eight non-Muslim seats.
It asked to separately submit the priority lists with the office of Provincial Election Commissioner Sindh for 14 National Assembly reserved seats for women from Sindh province besides 29 Provincial Assembly Sindh reserved seats and nine non-Muslim seats.
Similarly, the commission asked to separately submit the priority lists with the office of Provincial Election Commissioner Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) for nine National Assembly reserved seats for women from KP province besides 22 Provincial Assembly KP reserved seats and three non-Muslim seats.
The ECP also asked to separately submit the priority lists with the office of Provincial Election Commissioner Balochistan for four National Assembly reserved seats for women from Balochistan province besides 11 Provincial Assembly Balochistan reserved seats and three non-Muslim seats.
Relevant pieces published earlier:
i) Supreme Court directed all candidates contesting General Elections to submit an affidavit, comprising missing information in the electoral nominations papers, within three days. A five-member bench, headed by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar, issued orders while hearing appeals filed by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) former speaker National Assembly Ayaz Sadiq against the Lahore High Court ruling ordering the revision of the nomination forms to be submitted by candidates for upcoming general elections. The court also directed ECP to submit the format of the affidavit in the court within one hour, however, the nomination papers will remain unchanged. During the course of proceedings, Justice Nisar remarked: “why the speaker is shying while submitting information about himself.” Replying to CJ counsel for Sadiq said his client was not reluctant to file information.
The Chief Justice maintained that ECP had right to ask details whatever it needed from the candidates moreover public should know the whereabouts of his candidates going to contest elections. The top judge said that all information was being demanded for justice, adding that the court would have the right to take action against the person who filed misinformation in the affidavit under Article 62, 63 of the constitution. It may be added that LHC had ruled that the nomination forms do not include mandatory information and declarations required from lawmakers as per the Constitution and law, and ordered the ECP to ensure this information is included in the revised Form A – for election to the NA or Senate – and Form B – a statement of assets and liabilities.
ii) The Supreme Court of Pakistan (SCP) has suspended today the Lahore High Court verdict regarding insertion of mandatory information in the nomination papers for the 25th July polls. The petition against LHC decision that was filed by ECP and Ayaz Sadiq (former NA speaker) challenged the verdict apropos redrafting of nomination papers. While ECP maintained that any change in the nomination papers would mean a delay in the election process, Sadiq’s advocate held that only parliament could legislate on such issues. Meanwhile, CJP – warning that ECP would be held responsible for any delay in the forthcoming elections – stressed that the elections would take place on 25th of July according to the schedule. (3rd of June, 2018)
iii) The caretaker prime minister has asked the AG office today to file an appeal against the LHC verdict about the revision of the nomination forms to be submitted by the candidates for 25th July elections.
It is pertinent to mention here that LHC maintained that the present form does not include the information about employment and business, dual nationality, tax/FBR, income from agriculture and taxes paid, crime and convictions, properties of close relatives, expenditure on elections, loans taken from banks and other institutions, an affidavit to follow the elections rules.
@ نوکری اور بزنس کی تفصیلات
@ دہری شہریت کی معلومات
@ ٹیکس- ایف بی آر کی تفصیلات
@ زرعی آمدن اور ٹیکس کی تفصیلات
@ جرایم اور عدالتی سزا کی تفصیلات
@ قریبی عزیزوں کے اثاثوں کی تفصیلات
@ انتخابی اخراجات کی تفصیلات
@ بینک اور اداروں سے قرض کی تفصیلات
@ حلف نامہ کہ امیدوار انتخابی ضابطوں کی پاسداری کرے گا
The caretaker premier has earlier said that elections would be held on time. Therefore, this seems to be an effort towards that direction.
iv) ECP has announced here today that it was going to the SCP against the LHC and BHC recent verdicts. According to details ECP, after a huddle chaired by the election commissioner, prevented the ROs from accepting nomination forms till Monday, 4th of July. ECP will be issuing new directions following the decision by SCP on ECP’s appeal. Readers may recall while BHC had proclaimed the delimitation of eight constituencies in Quetta void, LHC has yesterday (1st of June) ordered ECP to revise nomination forms to include information regarding educational background and criminal records of the candidates (excluded by the parliament via Elections Act 2017). ECP reckons these decisions would throw a spanner in the ongoing election process resulting into delaying of the elections. (2nd of June, 2018)
v) The Lahore High Court (LHC) today ordered the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for ensuring inclusion of mandatory information and declarations in the nomination forms for candidates. The bench held that the current forms, made by the Parliament under Election Act, did not provide for mandatory information and declaration as required by the law and constitution. It further held that ECP was empowered to add or improve nomination forms to fulfill its constitutional mandate of ensuring free and fair election. The court further held that the term dependent children used in Section 60, 110, and 137 of the Election Act and nomination forms is held to be read down to be construed and interpreted in terms of the constitutional requirement provided for in Article 63 (1) (n) and (o) of the Constitution.
Justice Ayesha A Malik passed the orders while partially allowing petitions filed by an anchor person, Habib Akram, and others. The court had reserved the judgment after hearing arguments of the parties and it was announced on Friday. Earlier, petitioners counsel Saad Rasool assailing the nomination forms for the candidates of assemblies and statement of liabilities and assets argued that forms were drafted by the Parliament which was not competent authority for the purpose. He said that ECP was the competent authority as the drafting of forms fell under its jurisdiction. He said that Parliament could not draft nomination papers. He said that the forms must include details regarding income tax, citizenship, criminal record, assets of dependents whereas impugned forms failed to provide details required under Article 63 regarding disclosure of liabilities of the candidate, his spouse, and dependents.
