Current Final

Tag: ECP

  • Bilalwal asks ECP to announce poll dates

    Bilalwal asks ECP to announce poll dates

    Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, the chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), has stated that he will only be able to remark on making “alliances” with other political parties when the election date has been made public.

    While addressing a press conference in Okara, the former foreign minister once more urged that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to announce the election date so that the party could plan and launch its election campaign.

    “It is our request to the ECP to announce the election schedule,” the PPP chief said, emphasising that the matter of alliances can only be addressed once the election timetable is established.

    When asked about the expected return of Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif, Bilawal stated: “Mian Sahib’s return has been a long-standing demand of the PPP.”

    “The PPP is not being pushed to the wall, we didn’t even back out from the 2007-2008 elections,” the party chairman stated in response to a question.

  • President Alvi has no power to announce the election date, says PM Kakar

    President Alvi has no power to announce the election date, says PM Kakar

    Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar has said on Monday that President Arif Alvi has no right to announce a date for general elections as it is the responsibility of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

    Multiple sources have told different media outlets that President Arif Alvi is set to announce the election date.

    Earlier in the day, during their second meeting in ten days, President Alvi had a discussion on the election schedule with the caretaker law minister.

    According to sources in the president’s house, the idea that President Alvi will choose a date for the upcoming general election is “wrong”, confirming that discussions on polls are still going on.

    However, PM Kakar said in an interview that, according to the law, ECP has the power to announce the election date.

    The caretaker PM further said that “We have no intention to prolong the tenure of the caretaker government.”

  • President Alvi can announce election date anytime, Geo News reports

    President Alvi can announce election date anytime, Geo News reports

    President of Pakistan, Dr. Arif Alvi, can announce the election date anytime, Geo News has reported. President Alvi met with interim law minister Ahmad Irfan Aslam on Monday and discussed the matter of the election date.

    The law minister reportedly told the President that in his opinion, deciding the polling date is the responsibility of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), verifying the stance of the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC).

    However, the President declaring a date on his own could start another legal crisis with the matter likely to end up in the Supreme Court.

    According to a report in The News, President Alvi met with two significant individuals in Aiwan-e-Sadr on September 4. The location of the meeting, the Aiwan-e-Sadr’s fourth floor, was off-limits to everyone, including staff.


    General Nadeem Ahmad Anjum, the head of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), was also present at the meeting, according to a previous revelation by Kamran Yousaf in his vlog on August 30.

  • ECP will keep an eye on election campaigns and expenses

    ECP will keep an eye on election campaigns and expenses

    The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has said on Thursday that it will keep an eye on election campaigns and expenses in the upcoming general elections, stating that the decision has been taken after consultations with political parties.

    According to ECP, the services of the army, police, and other law enforcement agencies will be sought to ensure a safe and peaceful environment at polling stations.

    The electoral watchdog has said that this matter came up in the meeting about the upcoming general elections with Tehreek-e-Labaik Pakistan (TLP) and Pakistan Muslim League (Quaid-i-Azam) PML(Q)

    Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja, ECP secretary, and other senior officers were part of the meeting.

    The TLP’s delegation comprised of party leaders Chaudhry Rizwan, Mohammad Qasim, Ziaur Rahman, and Chaudhry Azhar, whereas the PML-Q was represented by Mohammad Tariq Hussain, Farukh Khan, Ghulam Mustafa, Rizwan Sadiq, and Hafiz Aqeel Jalil.

  • ‘Elections not possible before May 2024,’ says former ECP secretary

    According to a former Secretary of Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) , Kanwar Dilshad, general elections are not possible before May 2024, stressing that polling will only be possible after nine months.

    He explained his point further while talking to The News that the process of delimitation of constituencies will take almost four months.

    The former ECP secretary said that four months for delimitation, three months for finalising the voter list, and two months for the election schedule will make the upcoming election possible. So, according to the former ECP, more than nine months are required to make the general election possible.

    He also said that the ECP should not ignore the factor of revision of electoral rolls, as it is very necessary according to the Election Act 2017.

    On the other hand, according to the sources of Geo News, ECP has decided to consult all the major political parties about the final date of the upcoming general election. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) will also be consulted regarding this matter.

    The ECP’s meeting with the political parties, the sources added, is expected to begin in the next few days.

    Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), Awami National Party (ANP), and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) are the major political parties in the country.

  • Caretaker Punjab govt should remain in its limits: ECP

    Caretaker Punjab govt should remain in its limits: ECP

    The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has sent a letter to Punjab Caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi, staring that deputy commissioners are issuing NOCs for new housing societies in Punjab.

    According to the letter, the ECP reminded the interim CM that issuing of NOCs and announcing policies is not the domain of the caretaker government. An elected government can work on policy-making, but not a caretaker setup.

    The ECP said they are hopeful that caretaker government will work within constitutional and legal limits. According to ECP, the caretaker setup can prepare a case in case of an emergency and get it approved by the commission.

    The constitutional terms of the caretaker governments of Punjab and Khyber Palhtunkhwa were set to end in mid-April but the federal government did not issue funds needed by the ECP to hold elections in the two provinces despite a Supreme Court order. Some legal experts and opposition parties have raised questions about the legitimacy of the two caretaker governments, describing them as illegal.

  • IHC summons Toshakhana case records for PTI Chairman’s Trial

    IHC summons Toshakhana case records for PTI Chairman’s Trial

    The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has taken steps to obtain the records of the Toshakhana case involving the imprisoned Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman, Imran Khan, who is currently serving time in Attock Jail.

    The division bench of the IHC, comprising Chief Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri, issued the directive in response to Imran’s appeal against his conviction in the Toshakhana case.

    In an official statement released today, the IHC has issued an order to the district election commissioner of Islamabad which states, “Notice to the respondent. Office is directed to requisition the record of the learned Trial Court.”

    On August 5, a District and Sessions Court gave a three-year prison sentence to the PTI chairman as part of the Toshakhana criminal case.

    The court also imposed a fine of Rs 100,000 on Imran Khan. Additionally, the former prime minister was prohibited from holding any public office for a duration of five years.

    The court’s verdict emphasized that the former prime minister had knowingly provided false information regarding Toshakhana gifts to the ECP and was found guilty of engaging in corrupt practices.

    Subsequently, he was arrested from his residence in Zaman Park, Lahore, and transferred to Attock Jail.

  • ECP awaits census data to determine election schedule

    ECP awaits census data to determine election schedule

    Following the dissolution of the National Assembly, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has been granted a 90-day window to organize general elections. Within this period, the ECP is also required to carry out the process of constituency delimitation based on the digital census. However, census results necessary for this task have not yet been provided to the ECP.

    Sources within the ECP have confirmed to geo.tv that they are still awaiting data for 186,509 census blocs and are yet to establish a timeline for the constitutionally mandated delimitation process. Although they have already received district-wise data from the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, the data required for delimitation is still pending.

    It has been revealed that the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) is expected to compile and share the data of these blocs with the ECP in the coming week. Following this, the ECP will need a minimum of four months to carry out the delimitation process and address any complaints that may arise.

    The Council of Common Interests (CCI), a constitutional body, approved the digital census results on August 5, which marked a significant step. The ECP held its inaugural formal meeting on this matter. With the census phase now complete, the focus shifts to the subsequent step of delimitation.

    While the ECP has already consulted its legal team and received a briefing, the completion of data provision from the bureau is awaited. This data is essential for the ECP to establish a timeline for fulfilling its legal obligations prior to conducting the elections.

    The passage of the census results has sparked speculation, particularly within political and constitutional circles. In relation to the National Assembly, officially dissolved on August 10, triggering the countdown for the constitutional requirement of delimitation. This process encompasses 90 days, with an additional 30 days allocated for addressing related complaints and objections.

    A senior official stressed the significance of time, stating that if the complete census results are provided to the Election Commission by August 15 or 16 (Tuesday or Wednesday), the commission would be left with 85 or 86 days to carry out the delimitation process.

    Originally reported by Mumtaz Alvi

  • Fawad Chaudhry apologises to ECP in contempt case

    Fawad Chaudhry apologises to ECP in contempt case

    Former Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Fawad Chaudhry, now associated with the Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP), has rendered an apology to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) in a contempt case filed against him, Geo News has reported.

    The case against Fawad Chaudhry was initiated last year in August, for using inappropriate language against the ECP and Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja.

    The ECP, a constitutional body, issued notices to Fawad Chaudhry and other members of the PTI, including Imran Khan and Asad Umar, for using foul language against the CEC and ECP.

    A four-member commission headed by the CEC heard the contempt case against Fawad Chaudhry and others on Thursday.

    Fawad Chaudhry appeared before the ECP and apologised to the commission. He further requested it to withdraw the show-cause notice issued to him.

    Fawad Chaudhry said that whatever he said at that time was the party’s narrative.

    “It was the party’s position that I described. I respect institutions, including the ECP,” the former information minister said.

    The ECP asked him to submit a written apology, adjourning the hearing till August 1.

  • Ready to hold elections in 60 or 90 days: ECP Secretary

    Ready to hold elections in 60 or 90 days: ECP Secretary

    Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) Secretary Umar Hamid has said while talking to SAMAA TV that ECP is ready to hold election in 90 or 60 days after the end of the tenure of the coalition government.

    The ECP secretary said that holding election in 60 or 90 days is a prerequisite of the constitution of Pakistan.
    “ECP has been trying to hold polls, whether the assemblies are dissolved or complete their term,” he added.

    He further added that “The government will tell whether the assemblies will complete their term or not.”