- ECP will file an appeal against the IHC’s decision to conduct polls
- The ECP said the provision of polling and security staff will be a huge challenge
- IHC had ordered to conduct LG polls on Dec 31
ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has decided to appeal the Islamabad High Court’s (IHC) decision to conduct the Local Government elections in the federal capital tomorrow.
The election commission held an emergency meeting after the court nullified the decision to postpone the polls in Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) and ordered it to conduct as scheduled on December 31.
During the meeting, it has been decided to file an intra-court appeal against the court’s verdict, sources revealed. The election commission will seek at least a week to conduct the polls stating it requires time for the printing and delivery of ballot papers.
ECP officials have also decided to hold a meeting with the Additional Attorney General (AAG) over the inability to conduct the polls. Chief Election Commissioner will also reach Islamabad and hold a meeting on the situation.
According to sources, the election commission has expressed to inability to conduct the local government elections within a day. It said the deployment of polling and security personnel would become a major challenge for the election commission.
Sources revealed it is an arduous task to transport and deliver the polling materials to the polling stations in such a short period of time. The delivery of polling materials to polling station and setting up polling booths is a huge challenge.
It has been revealed that presiding officers for the polls were taken from the education department whose leaves were cancelled. When the election schedule was delayed, the presiding officers have already returned to their departments. Sources added that it is not known where the presiding officers and polling staff are and their attendance cannot be ensured within a day.
ECP sources said the delivery of ballot materials is a difficult task requiring foolproof security. The election commission used to complete this exercise a day before the election. The ECP will have to obtain security from the federal administration.
The Election Commission is also concerned about the shortfall of presiding officers and polling staff. As a result, it has been decided to appeal the court’s decision to conduct the polls.
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has instructed the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to hold local government elections in the capital on December 31.
IHC’s Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir accepted the petitions of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) against the ECP’s decision to postpone the local government elections.
The court nullified the ECP’s decision and ordered to conduct the municipal elections in Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) as scheduled on Dec 31.
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