General Elections results to be announced by 1am, believes CEC

ISLAMABAD: Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja has said that the results of the General Elections 2024 will be pronounced by 1 am on 9^th February according to the law, ARY News reported.

Speaking to media representatives, the CEC said that preparations for the elections have been completed to conduct the polls on time. “It is the responsibility of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to conduct a peaceful and transparent election,” he added.

Sikandar Sultan Raja said that due to the current situation and lack of time, more ballot papers cannot be printed. He said that the ECP has ensured a level playing field for all political parties and submitted a detailed report to the Supreme Court of Paksitan.

The CEC said that the election watchdog has issued strict instructions to the chief secretaries, Inspector Generals of Police (IGPs) of all provinces to ensure level playing field for all political parties and independents contesting the Elections 2024.

He said that the ECP had decided to use Election Management System (EMS) instead of Rapid Transmission System (RTS) to ensure transparency in the elections.

“The ECP is fulfilling its constitutional responsibility in effective manner,” Sikandar Sultan Raja added.

Read More: ECP conducts ‘successful’ trial run of EMS

Earlier on January 27, the ECP said it “successfully” conducted a mock exercise of the Election Management System (EMS) on an experimental basis, yielding useful and encouraging results.

In a statement, an ECP spokesman pointed out that presiding officers, on the whole, managed to deliver results satisfactorily.

However, connectivity challenges at certain points during the exercise caused minor issues in transmitting results to some presiding officers. “These challenges are being promptly addressed,” the spokesperson added.

On January 28, the ECP took a proactive step by introducing an active WhatsApp helpline, providing citizens with a platform to register and resolve their election-related complaints swiftly.

According to a statement, this initiative aims to enhance accessibility and responsiveness in addressing concerns leading up to the upcoming general elections in 2024.

Using this WhatsApp number, 0327 5050610 individuals, particularly those who are speech and hearing impaired, can submit their complaints via video

The ECP had also decided to make SMS service 8300 free of charge. The announcement was made by ECP’s Spokesperson, Syed Nadeem Hyder, Additional Director General Nighat Sadique, and the Project Director of the Project Management Unit.

They said the voters can check details of their constituencies and polling stations by sending the number of their computerized identity cards to 8300.