• ECP organised training sessions for the officers.
• Sources pointed out that 40 training sittings have been scheduled.
• ECP imposed ban on transfers, postings of deputy commissioners.

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) will announce the election schedule on December 17 (Sunday) and nomination papers will be submitted on the next day of the schedule’s announcement, The News quoted sources as saying on Thursday.

As per the publication, the electoral watchdog will take 54 days to complete the process to finally hold balloting for the provincial and national assemblies on February 8, 2024.

Under Article 220 of the Constitution, the federal and provincial governments would be bound to assist the ECP in conducting the elections after the announcement of the schedule.

The Constitution provides under “Executive authorities to assist Commission, etc.” Article 220 of the Constitution that reads: “It shall be the duty of all executive authorities in the Federation and in the provinces to assist the Commissioner and the Election Commission in the discharge of his or their functions.”

The election body has sped up its preparations for the polls. The chief election commissioner (CEC), whose engagements have been increased on several counts, has set up a hotline in his office to maintain contact with all offices of the commission. Training for the district returning officers and returning officers started on December 13, and it would last till December 16. ECP organised training sessions for the officers with the assistance of the authorities concerned, sources said.

The officers will be imparted the best possible training so that they can satisfactorily perform their duties. They would be also briefed about the most sophisticated communication system that has been put in place to undertake the election duties. Sources pointed out that 40 training sittings have been scheduled for imparting all-round training to the officers.

The commission is providing training to 142 district returning officers and 859 returning officers. In the meanwhile, the commission sources said the ECP was fully prepared to hold free, fair and transparent elections in the country and no doubt should be left to hold polls according to the announced date.

The ECP also imposed a ban on transfers and postings of deputy commissioners throughout the country. The Establishment Division has been informed about it, the sources added.

Meanwhile, the ECP has drawn the attention of the members of parliament and provincial assemblies, Sindh and Balochistan to submit to the ECP by December 31, 2023, yearly statements of assets and liabilities including their spouse and dependent children as on the preceding 30th day of June on Form-B for the financial years 2022-2023 being a mandatory requirement under Section 137 of the Elections Act, 2017.

A statement issued by the Media Coordination and Outreach Wing of the ECP, the prescribed Form-B along with instructions/guidelines prepared in this regard can be obtained free of cost from the ECP Secretariat, Islamabad, offices of provincial election commissioners of respective province, Senate Secretariat, National Assembly Secretariat and secretariats of concerned provincial assemblies. Moreover, Form-B can also be downloaded from the ECP’s website i.e. www.ecp.gov.pk.

It may be pointed out that presently, only the Senate of Pakistan is in existence while the National Assembly and four provincial legislatures will come into being after the February 8 general elections.