LAHORE, Jan 23: Ballot papers for the by-election in PP-147 will now be issued by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) rather than the Lahore district returning officer and have already been published in Islamabad.

Sources said on Thursday that the decision had been made following the theft of 5,000 PP-147 ballot papers on Jan 14. The by-election in PP-147, postponed following that incident, would be held on Jan 26.

The ballot papers were printed at a local press and transported to the returning officer concerned through the Lahore district returning officer.

According to sources, the ECP has directed the returning officer concerned to re-count 125,000 ballot papers issued previously for PP-147 and pack them in cartons. These ballot papers were issued to the presiding officers on Jan 14 but recalled by the returning officer when the by-election was postponed.

“No instructions have been issued as yet regarding the fate of the old ballot papers,” said an official attached to the Lahore district returning officer on condition of anonymity.

Sources told Dawn that the assistant returning officer for PP-147, Javed Iqbal Sheikh, had left for Islamabad on Thursday to receive the ballot papers and transport them to Lahore under his supervision. It has been learnt further that the assistant returning officer would personally count the ballot papers and submit a written confirmation of receipt to the ECP.

Meanwhile, the Lahore district returning officer, probing the theft of 5,000 ballot papers, visited the Printing Press of Pakistan on Thursday and talked to Manager Fazalur Rehman and Deputy Manager Mohammad Rafique, who told him that no special staff had been deputed for printing ballot papers for PP-147 nor any specific machines were used for the purpose. The printing was completed in different shifts.

The DRO also examined the main building of the press where 17 printing machines were working. He seized the register of the press carrying the names and other personal information of the visitors. Some 21 witnesses have been examined by the DRO so far.