ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s election oversight body announced on Sunday that it has resumed training district returning officers (DROs) and returning officers (ROs) for the polling exercise, following the release of the national polls schedule in accordance with the Supreme Court’s directives.
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) paused the training following the Lahore High Court’s verdict on Thursday, which stayed the appointment of ROs and DROs from the bureaucracy. Without the training exercise, polls scheduled for Feb. 8 could have been delayed.
Pakistan’s top court on Friday scrapped the LHC order and directed ECP to release the polling schedule. Hours later, the regulator announced the schedule, fixing the polling date for Feb. 8.
“Similar to all parts of the country, the training of returning officers and district returning officers in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) has resumed,” the ECP’s KP office read.
“The training exercise will be completed by Dec. 19.”
The election oversight committee said 160 ROs and 36 DROs are being trained across Pakistan’s northwestern province.
“Senior members of the election commission are performing their duties as trainers,” the ECP said.
According to the ECP’s schedule, the RO will issue a public notice on Dec. 19, with the dates for filing nominations fixed from Dec. 20-22.
The ECP said candidates’ names would be published on Dec. 23, and the nomination papers would be scrutinized from Dec 24-30.
The ECP said that symbols of political candidates would be allowed by Jan. 13.
Article Courtesy: https://www.arabnews.pk/
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