Punjab Assembly elections on April 30: ECP

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan has announced election schedule for general election in Punjab, ARY News reported on Wednesday.

“Polling for election of Punjab provincial assembly will be held on April 30,” the election commission announced.

According to the election schedule, candidates could submit their nomination papers from March 12 to 14, while scrutiny of the papers will be held on March 22.

The candidates could withdraw their nomination papers upto April 05 and election symbols to candidates will be allotted on April 06, the ECP announced.

It is pertinent to mention here that President Dr Arif Alvi announced April 30 as the date for elections in Punjab.

The announcement from President Alvi came minutes after the ECP suggested dates for the election in the province in light of the Supreme Court verdict.

President announced the date after considering the dates proposed by the election commission, the President’s office tweeted.

The ECP had proposed Punjab election date between April 30 and May 7 in a letter written to President Arif Alvi.

Earlier, the Supreme Court had ordered the ECP to hold elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa within 90 days.

The apex court announced its decision in a split verdict of 3-2 after the completion of the hearing on the suo moto notice.

CJP Justice Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Munib Akhtar and Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar supported the verdict, while Justice Jamal Mandokhail and Justice Mansoor Ali Shah opposed the admissibility of the suo moto notice and dissented from the majority verdict.

The Punjab and KP assemblies were dissolved on Jan 18 and Jan 14, respectively, after former prime minister Imran Khan had announced the dissolution of provincial assemblies in an attempt to force the government to hold snap polls.

As per the Constitution of Pakistan, polls need to be held for the dissolved assemblies within 90 days.