ECP issues Punjab elections schedule

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Wednesday announced the schedule for elections in Punjab — which are to be held on May 14 as directed by the Supreme Court, ARY News reported.

According to the electoral watchdog notification, the polling for the Punjab Assembly elections will be held on May 14, 2023. The ECP also withdrew its earlier schedule regarding the holding of general elections in Punjab in October.

As per the schedule, appeals can be filed against the decisions of Returning Officers regarding rejection or accepting nomination papers on April 10.

April 17 will be the last date for deciding on appeals by the Appellate Tribunal, and the revised lists of candidates will be published on April 18, the ECP notification stated.

The withdrawal of candidature can be done till April 19 while the candidates will be allotted election symbols on April 20, 2023. The polling will be held on May 14.

The ECP schedule comes hours after the consultative meeting of the Election Commission, under the chair of CEC Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja, was held in Islamabad today (Wednesday) to deliberate on the Supreme Court’s (SC)’s verdict regarding Punjab Assembly elections.

During the meeting, the ECP lawyers briefed the commission about the legal aspects and prospects of the implementation on the apex court’s order.

Sources said the participants in the meeting also decided to consult the caretaker Punjab government for administrative and security matters.

The ECP has also decided to consult with the finance ministry for the release of funds required for Punjab polls, they say.

SC verdict

The electoral watchdog’s decision about the delay in holding polls in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was nullified by the Supreme Court on Tuesday.

A three-member bench — comprising Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Ijazul Ahsan and Justice Munib Akhtar — announced the reserved verdict on the PTI’s petition challenging the Election Commission of Pakistan’s order postponing the elections in Punjab and KP

The Supreme Court declared the ECP’s order postponing the provincial assembly elections until October 8 as “unconstitutional” and ordered the government to release Rs21 billion funds for elections in Punjab by April 10.

The top court also directed to conduct Punjab polls on May 14. The SC further directed the caretaker government in Punjab to assist the commission.

Yesterday, the federal cabinet rejected Supreme Court’s verdict on elections. The federal cabinet session chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, in a session, considered the decision of the apex court for holding elections in Punjab.

The cabinet declared the court’s decision as a ‘minority verdict’ and ‘non implementable’.