News
New dates surface for LG polls in three provinces
* ECP informed KP and Punjab will hold elections in May and November this year while Sindh in March next year
ISLAMABAD: Local bodies elections will be held in a staggered form in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab and Sindh, starting this year. The elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will be conducted in May, Punjab in November, and Sindh will hold them in March 2016. Following the directions of Supreme Court, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has finally waken up to the task of preparing for the local bodies elections in the three provinces. During a meeting held in this regard Friday, chaired by Chief Election Commissioner Sardar Muhammad Raza Khan, the ECP was informed that KPK and Punjab would hold the LB polls in May and November this year. The ECP mapped out details of the Union Councils (UCs), wards and the maps of the provinces to finalise the related preparations. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will conduct LG polls in May this year, Punjab in November, and Sindh will hold them in March 2016. In the meeting, the CEC said that LG polls in Islamabad as well as cantonment would be conducted upon completion of legislative requirements. He added that in Sindh and Punjab, the LG polls would be held after completion of delimitation of constituencies. Sources have stated that the formation of the constituencies will take up one month more. The sources added that local bodies’ polls in KPK will take place in May and would not be delayed any further. Meanwhile, in the upcoming Senate elections, 11 seats are reserved from each province, two from federal capital and four from FATA. According to the schedule issued by Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), nomination papers for the election would be submitted on February 12 and 13 while scrutiny of the papers would be held on February 16 and 17. List of contesting candidates would be issued on February 25. Polling on 52 seats of the Senate would be held on March 3. For 11 seats, each of the four provinces’ polling would be held in provincial capitals while polling of seats from Federal Capital and FATA would be held in National Assembly. According to the ECP notification, in each province elections would be held for seven general seats, two seats for technocrats and ulema and two reserved seats for women. In federal capital one seat is general while one is reserved for women whereas four seats are for FATA and two for minorities.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk