ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has officially announced the appointment of 24 judges as appellate tribunals. These tribunals will be responsible for handling appeals related to the acceptance or rejection of nomination papers filed by candidates for the upcoming elections, scheduled for February 8, 2024.
The appointment of these judges as appellate tribunals follows the conclusion of the five-day deadline for the submission of nominations. The ECP’s notification, in line with Section 63 of the Elections Act, 2017, specifies the jurisdiction of each tribunal for the disposal of appeals against decisions made by Returning Officers regarding the acceptance or rejection of nomination papers.
The distribution of these appellate tribunals is as follows: nine in Punjab, six in Sindh, five in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and two each in Balochistan and the federal capital.
Section 62 of the Act allows any voter to raise objections to a candidate’s nomination, and Section 63 outlines the process for filing appeals against the decisions of Returning Officers. The appeals will be heard by Appellate Tribunals, each consisting of a judge from a High Court appointed by the Commission in consultation with the Chief Justice of the relevant High Court.
The nominations pertain to various constituencies, including the National Assembly’s 266 general seats, 60 seats reserved for women, and 10 seats reserved for non-Muslims. The distribution of seats across provinces and territories is outlined in Article 51(3) of the Constitution.
For the National Assembly, Punjab has the largest share with 141 general seats and 32 seats reserved for women. The federal capital has three general seats. Additionally, Article 106 addresses the constituencies of the four provincial legislatures, with each province having a specific allocation of general seats, seats reserved for women, and seats reserved for non-Muslims.
