ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan announced on Friday that local government elections in the federal capital will be held on Nov 30.

The schedule for local government polls in Islamabad was earlier issued on July 25, but was withdrawn two weeks before polling day, following concerns that the schedule had been announced in the absence of a local government law. The schedule had been issued on Supreme Court directions in anticipation of such legislation.

The National Assembly had already passed a bill envisaging partyless local government elections in the capital, but members of the Senate questioned the issuance of the schedule, saying that the upper house of parliament had the authority to amend the bill before it was finally passed.

The most significant amendment made to the bill in the Senate was the provision of holding these elections on partybasis.

The bill was then sent to the National Assembly, which adopted it with the amendments introduced by the Senate.

The notification was withdrawn by the ECP after most preparations, such as the appointment of polling staff, the filing and scrutiny of nomination papers, publication of the final list and commencement of the process of printing 42 million ballot papers, had been initiated.

According to the schedule announced on Friday, the returning officer will issue notices inviting nominations on Oct 15 and will receive nomination papers from prospective candidates between Oct 24 and Oct 27.

The scrutiny of nomination papers will be held from Oct 31 to Nov 4. Appeals against the acceptance or rejection of nomination papers will be received on Nov 5 and 6 and disposed on Nov 7 and 8, while Nov 10 has been set as the last date for withdrawal of candidature and the final list of candidates along with symbols allotted to them will be published the next day.

Polling will take place on Nov 30 and the returning officer will announce results on Dec 4.

To ensure that elections to the union councils in Islamabad Capital Territory are conducted fairly and in accordance with law, the ECP directed all executive authorities in the federation not use state resources in local government elections calculated to influence the elections in favour of a particular candidate or a political party.

It warned that if any person in government service misuses his official position to influence the results of the elections, he would be liable to face proceedings under Section 60 of the Islamabad Capital Territory Local Government Act, 2015.

The ECP has also placed a ban on transfers and postings of the civil servants without prior approval of the commission until the publication of election results.

The commission has included the president among the public office holders who have been barred from openly or secretly giving any subscription or donation; inaugurating or committing to undertake or announcing any development project .

Other public office holders on the list include the prime minister, the Senate chairman and deputy chairman, the National Assembly speaker and deputy speaker, federal ministers, ministers of state and advisers to the prime minister.

The ECP also announced that the candidates who had submitted nomination fees under the previous schedule and retained their receipts will not have to make fresh deposits but would have to file fresh nomination papers.

Published in Dawn, August 29th, 2015

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