PPP wants nomination deadline extended

 

He reasoned the process of issuance and submission of nomination forms was a lengthy, technical and complicated one and it would be favourable for the prospective candidates in case they got an additional day for fulfilling all the required formalities with complete peace of mind.

 

Over 2,700 forms filed

 

Around 2,723 nomination forms for the upcoming local bodies (LB) elections have been filed in the six districts of the city.

 

The acceptance of nomination forms was started on December 24 and after a lukewarm start some momentum in the filing of nomination forms was witnessed on Friday.

 

According to the Local Government Director (Karachi), Rubina Asif, the maximum number of nomination forms was submitted in the newly formed District Korangi and the figure stood at 853. The District Central received 645 nomination forms, while 488 forms were filed in the District East. As many as 316 nomination forms were received at District West offices, while 241 forms were submitted in District Malir. However, only 180 forms were filed in District South.

 

The deputy commissioners of all the six districts have been performing as district returning officers for the LB elections scheduled for January 18.

 

Holding the LG polls is proving a challenge for the Punjab and Sindh governments, which have called for delaying them.

 

Their concern was echoed on Thursday when a parliamentary committee and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) agreed that the local bodies elections were not possible in Sindh and Punjab as per schedule.

 

ECP sources told The News that among other issues, there were over 4,000 applications still with the relevant authorities, raising objections to delimitation of constituencies in the run-up to the upcoming local bodies elections. Moreover, the printing of ballot papers for the two provinces appeared impossible within the stipulated period.

 

Meanwhile, the Senate Standing Committee on Parliamentary Affairs unanimously recommended that the announced schedule for the local bodies elections in the Punjab and Sindh should be reviewed and delayed for a few months as a senior official of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) told it that the ballot papers could not be printed in the scheduled time.

 

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