ISLAMABAD: Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja asserted on Thursday that the preparations for conducting timely elections, marked by peace and transparency, have been finalized, eliminating any possibility of delays.
Following a meeting at the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) in Islamabad, Raja, in an informal discussion with journalists, mentioned that due to time constraints, there is no capacity for additional ballot paper printing.
Raja emphasized the ECP’s responsibility to facilitate peaceful and transparent elections, underscoring the commission’s efforts to provide a level playing field for all political parties. He noted that a detailed report on these efforts has been submitted to the Supreme Court.
The CEC highlighted that directives have been issued to chief secretaries and inspector generals, with a shift from the Result Transmission System (RTS) to the Election Management System (EMS) to ensure transparent elections. He expressed confidence in the ECP’s effective role in fulfilling its responsibilities.
Contrary to rumors, election commission sources dismissed the possibility of delaying elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.
The ECP meeting concluded that the general elections are set to take place on February 8, aligning with the Supreme Court’s directives on ballot paper printing for various constituencies.
Addressing concerns about paper shortages, the sources explained that if additional printing orders were issued, the unavailability of papers would hinder the process. They highlighted the depletion of papers with special features and the limited capacity of printing corporations.
The ECP had organized a meeting on Thursday to assess the law and order situation in KP and Balochistan ahead of the impending polls.
Following the tragic murder of Rehan Zeb Khan, an independent candidate for NA-8 Bajaur and a member of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, the ECP directed the chief secretary and inspector general of police, KP, to submit a comprehensive report on the incident.
Rehan Zeb lost his life in an attack by unidentified armed assailants in the Bajaur district on Wednesday.
