Islamabad: After the country’s first digital census approved, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) may decide on constituency delimitation today.
The ECP asked its legal team to provide advise for the next course of action in conformity with the law and the Constitution on Monday, with conclusions expected today.
The electoral body will evaluate the possibility of holding elections within 90 days of the NA’s dissolution on August 9. Following legal guidance.
The ECP has 90 days to delimit and a month to address grievances, per the 2017 Elections Act.
Four ECP members, the secretary, special secretary, and the legal team met at the ECP’s headquarters. It was under Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja to discuss the current situation.
The ECP also ordered its scrutiny committee to provide foreign funding reports for the PML-N and PPP within 10 days.
The commission also ordered the Law Wing to request immediate hearings and judgements on all commission-filed private complaints pending in various courts to guarantee timely decisions and implementation.
Moreover, The ECP conducted its first meeting after the digital census approved and a day after PPP Senator Mian Raza Rabbani asked the Commission in the Senate to speak out on delimitation amid poll delays.
According to its Media Coordination and Outreach Wing, the ECP vehemently disputed any media reports that the PTI chairman dismissed from the party post.
Local bodies election in ISB
The ECP also scheduled Islamabad’s local government elections. Member Sindh Nisar Ahmad Durrani chaired the meeting.
ECP members, secretary, special secretary, and top officers attended the meeting.
The commission’s secretary informed participants that a meeting had been called for Tuesday (today) to set the polling date and conduct local government elections in Islamabad.
ECP preparations are complete. However, Section 17 of the Local Government Act must changed and the Commission must notified of reserved seats.
The interior secretary briefed that candidate election expenditure limits had set and a summary prepared for notification of reserved seats. Thus, legislation required.
The Election Commission would get the required revisions after parliament passes the legislation, he said.
The ECP strongly disapproved of the stand and ordered that the reserved seat allotment be approved immediately and Section 17 amended immediately so that the electoral authority could fulfil its constitutional and legal obligations.
The commission urged the interior minister to write its position today (Tuesday). The Commission will meet again next week.
