ECP reviews arrangements for general elections

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) held a meeting in Islamabad on Friday to review arrangements for general elections.

It was chaired by Chief Election Commissioner Sardar Muhammad Raza.

Additional Secretary of the Commission briefed the participants about preparations for general elections and members expressed satisfaction over progress so far made.

The meeting was informed that training of District Returning Officers has been completed and those of Returning Officers would be completed by first of next month.

It was told that training of presiding officers and senior assistant presiding officers would begin on 25th of next month and completed by 15th of July.

The electoral body has uploaded a draft polling scheme on its website for the upcoming general elections, which carries details of the number of voters and polling stations to be set up across the country.

The polling scheme provides constituency-wise details of polling stations, the number of polling booths to be set up there and the number of voters assigned to each polling station.

The polling scheme has been uploaded in respect of the federal capital, Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Fata.

According to the scheme, a total of 85252 polling stations will be set up across the country with over 200,000 polling booths.

Out of the total polling stations, 48610 polling stations with 1,31,026 booths will be set up in Punjab and Islamabad, whereas 17627 polling stations in Sindh and 4493 polling stations in Balochistan with over 11,000 booths.

The scheme says 14522 polling stations will be set up in Fata and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Lately, the election commission sent a summary to the President seeking presidential approval for holding the 2018 elections on any of three proposed dates. It had suggested July 25, 26 and 27 as possible dates to hold the general elections.