- ECP schedules meetings of Punjab & KP authorities to discuss elections.
- The meeting included members of the ECP and the secretary of the commission.
- Consultation meeting with political parties would be held on February 9.
Islamabad: Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Friday will hold a meeting on February 7 to discuss general elections for the two provincial assemblies on February 7, BOL News reported.
A meeting of the electoral watchdog presided over by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja decided to invite the chief secretaries and inspector generals police of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) to the consultative meeting.
The meeting was called after the governors of both provinces advised the ECP to consult stakeholders while keeping in mind the security and economic condition in the nation in response to the CEC’s letters requesting election dates.
During the meeting, ECP secretary gave a presentation on the election preparations in Punjab and KP, including the by-elections for the vacant National Assembly seats.
The official informed the meeting that following the election commission’s approval, a request had also been made to the high court registrars of the two provinces to give the services of judicial officials to guarantee free and fair elections.
The commission will receive a briefing on the safe and orderly conduct of the upcoming general elections for the provincial assembly and by-elections for the National Assembly from the chief secretaries and IGPs of Punjab and KP at the meeting on February 7, it was decided.
The ECP also decided that a consultation meeting with political parties would be held on February 9 and their comments regarding the code of conduct would be required. The meeting will other constitutional and legal matters for the orderly conduct of elections.
#ECP pic.twitter.com/mrRvQmKI44
— Election Commission of Pakistan (OFFICIAL) (@ECP_Pakistan) February 3, 2023
The ECP clarified its position in response to rumors about the election dates. “ECP did not declare any provincial assembly election dates at the most recent meeting, nor did it decide to write the governors in this respect once more.”
The governors were requested to choose a date within the stipulated timeframe when the commission earlier on January 25 offered the dates of April 9–13 for the Punjab Assembly elections and April 15–17 for the KP Assembly elections.
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