Web Desk(June 30, 2018): Candidate of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) former Deputy Speaker of National Assembly, Faisal Kareem Kundi on Saturday has withdrawn his candidature for NA-37 Tank in the favour of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
As a part of seat adjustment, PPP has taken back nomination papers of his candidate. Jamiat Ulema-e Islam (JUI-F) Chief Moulana Fazl-ur-Rehman’s son Asad Mahmood is also contesting elections from the same constituency.
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Faisal Karim Kundi submitted his nomination papers from NA-37, NA-38 and NA-39.
Candiadate of Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal, on the other hand, has withdrawn his papers from NA-3 Swat to support former Chief Minister of Punjab (CM) and president of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Shehbaz Sharif.
Hujjat Ullah has also announced to participate in the polls as an independent candidate.
ECP to Issue Final List of Candidates Today:
The Election Commission of Pakistan will publish the final list of the candidates and will allot symbols to the contesting candidates today.
According to ECP notification, June 30 (Saturday) has been set as the last day for the allotment of election symbols.
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On Friday, the deadline for candidates to submit their party tickets for those to withdraw their nomination papers ended at 4pm.
After election tribunals wrapped up verdicts on appeals against objections to the decisions of returning officers on June 27, the revised list of candidates was issued on June 28.
Friday (June 29) was the last day for candidates vying to contest the General Election 2018 to submit their party tickets and for those unwilling to take part in the poll contest to withdraw their nomination papers.
It is mandatory for the candidates to submit their party tickets in order to be allotted electoral symbols. Those who fail to do so will be considered independent candidates.
The ECP stated that the final list of candidates will be displayed at the offices of the returning officers and district returning officers tomorrow, following which it will be uploaded on the commission’s website.
Moreover, the electoral body asserted that candidates will have a total of 23 days to hold their campaigns, as all campaigning will seize 48 hours before polling.
The elections are scheduled to be held on July 25, 2018 from 8am to 6pm.
Poll preparations
Preparations of the upcoming elections are under way, with the ECP making arrangements to ensure smooth and transparent elections.
On June 26, the polling scheme for Lahore was finalised, which contained constituency-wise lists of polling stations, number of registered voters, and other relevant details. Similar schemes for other areas are yet to be announced.
The printing of ballot papers will commence from July 1 at printing presses in Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi under the supervision of the army.
According to sources, 210 million ballot papers will be printed with more than Rs2 billion being spent on the exercise, making it the most expensive venture in the history of the country’s elections.
The ballot papers are said to carry a watermark, something which none of the previous papers had.
The distribution of ballot papers will also be conducted under the army’s supervision.
The ECP has also requested the Defence Ministry to deploy 350,000 army personnel to be posted inside and outside the polling stations. The troops will be deployed for a total of four days leading upto the election day.
ECP has also ordered provincial governments to provide security to all candidates and political leaders.
The commission, in a letter to all four provincial governments, has directed the respective chief secretaries to ensure security arrangements for the candidates and leaders of political parties, sources privy to the matter said.
The ECP has also asked the relevant authorities to install CCTV cameras in sensitive polling stations for monitoring.
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