ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has communicated with authorities nationwide regarding complaints received about the filing of nomination papers and has issued directives to promptly address the issues.
Letters have been sent to all four provincial chief secretaries, election commissioners, Islamabad’s Inspector General, and commissioners. The ECP notes that it has received complaints and observed media reports highlighting difficulties faced by candidates in receiving and submitting nomination papers.
Stressing that the ECP has taken “serious notice” of the matter, authorities are instructed to take necessary action to resolve the reported complaints.
The issuance of these letters follows a meeting between a delegation of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Pakistan (PTI) and Chief Election Commissioner Sikander Sultan Raja, along with members of the ECP.
Supreme Court Orders ECP To Address Concerns Of Pakistan Tehrik-E-Insaf About Election Symbol And Polls
Earlier, the Supreme Court directed the Election Commission of Pakistan to address the PTI’s concerns about a fair playing field in the upcoming elections. Instructing the PTI to file their complaint with the ECP by 3 pm that day, the court also called upon the Attorney General of Pakistan, Mansoor Usman Awan, to intervene.
A three-member bench led by Justice Sardar Tariq Masood, along with Justices Athar Minallah and Syed Mansoor Ali, issued these directives based on a PTI plea for an equitable election environment.
Summoning both the Attorney General for Pakistan and the Election Commission ahead of the hearing, the court urged the AGP to facilitate the resolution of the matter.
Justice Minallah acknowledged the validity of the PTI’s concerns regarding an unfair playing field, citing reported events at Usman Dar’s residence and questioning the singling out of a single political party.
In response to the PTI’s apprehensions, Justice Masood queried why orders under the Maintenance of Public Order weren’t being prevented by the ECP. He indicated that the court would issue a detailed written verdict and urged the ECP to address all raised concerns thoroughly.
Following the court’s instructions, a PTI delegation was anticipated to visit the ECP office around 3 pm to present their grievances.
The petition filed a day earlier, stressed the need for the PTI to participate in elections without discrimination. It named respondents including the federation, ECP, and chief secretaries of KP, Punjab, Sindh, and Balochistan.
The petition highlighted the PTI’s earlier approach to the ECP, emphasizing the lack of orders ensuring transparency in the elections, which, it argued, damaged the country’s integrity.
