CHAKWAL: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has appointed the additional district collector, Asim Javed Hashmi, as district returning officer, the district officer coordination (DOC), Naeemullah Bhatti, and secretary regional transport authority, Kamran Akbar as assistant returning officers for the elections on indirect seats of district council, municipal committees and union councils in Chakwal.

Besides, the ECP also announced the schedule for filling indirect seats in metropolitan corporations, municipal corporations, district councils, municipal committees and union councils of Punjab province on January 15.

According to the schedule, the nominations papers will be filed on January 20 and 21 while the scrutiny of the nomination papers would be done from January 22 to 23.

The appeals against acceptance or rejection of nomination papers would be filed by January 27 which would be decided by January 28. Candidate can withdraw his/her candidature by January 28.

Election on the indirect seats of Metropolitan Corporations, Municipal Corporations and District Councils would be held on February 8 while the election on the indirect seats of municipal committees and union councils would be held on February 11 and 14 respectively.

In Chakwal, there are 28 indirect seats in the District Council which include fifteen for women, four for peasant/workers, four for technocrats, four for minorities and one for youth.

In the Municipal Committee of Chakwal there are eleven indirect seats --five for women, two for peasant/worker, two for minorities one for youth and one for technocrat.

In Municipal Committee Talagang, six members on indirect seats would be elected --three women, one peasant/worker, one youth member and one minority member.

The Municipal Committee of Choa Saidan Shah would elect five members on indirect seat which would include two women, one peasant/worker, one youth and one minority member while the Municipal Committees of Kallar Kahar and Bhoun both would elect four members, one woman, one peasant/worker, one youth and one minority member.

The Municipal Committee of Lawa would elect five members including two women, one peasant/worker, one youth and one minority member while every union council would elect five indirect members including two women, one peasant/worker, one youth and one minority member.

Additional District and Session Judge Ejaz Buttar has been appointed as the appellate authority who would hear the petitions against the decisions of returning officer.

Published in Dawn, January 19th, 2016