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Election Commission of Pakistan notifies SC’s Punjab polls schedule; polling to be held on 14th May

ISLAMABAD, April 05 (SABAH): The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) notified on Wednesday the elections schedule issued by the Supreme Court (SC) a day earlier while announcing its verdict in the Punjab polls delay case. The schedule has been issued by Deputy Director (Coordination) ECP Muhammad Nasir Khan on the orders of the Election Commission of Pakistan.

According to the notification issued by on Wednesday by ECP, it is said that pursuant to the order passed by Hon’able Supreme Court of Pakistan dated 4th April, 2023 in Constitution Petition No.5 of 2023, titled “Mohammad Sibtain Khan and others Vs. Election Commission of Pakistan through Chief Election Commissioner Islamabad and others”, the Election commission hereby recalls its Notification of even number dated March 22, 2023 and in partial modification to this Commission’s Notification of 8th March, 2023 hereby revises following stages of election Programme for the conduct of General Elections to the Provincial Assembly of Punjab to the following extent.

As per the schedule, polling for elections in Punjab will be held on May 14. The last date for filing an appeal against the decision of the Returning Officer regarding the nomination papers will be April 10.

As per the revised schedule, the election tribunal will decide on the appeals by April 17, and the last date for publishing the new list of candidates will be April 18.

The last date for withdrawal of nomination papers will be April 19 and election symbols will be allotted to the candidates on April 20.

It is said in the notification that the above mentioned Programme shall also apply to the seats reserved for Women and Non-Muslims in the Provincial Assembly of Punjab.

The election schedule by the ECP comes just a day after the apex court declared as “unconstitutional” the ECP’s earlier decision to postpone elections in Punjab, in a blow to the government that has been trying to delay the provincial election citing security issues and the economic crisis.

The three-member bench — headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Justice Umar Ata Bandial and comprising Justice Ijazul Ahsan and Justice Munib Akhtar — also fixed May 14 as the date for the poll in the province.