ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has established a four-tier Election Monitoring and Control Centres (EMCC) to register and resolve public complaints during the local government by-elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on October 20.
According to the ECP spokesperson, “These control rooms are located at the provincial, divisional, and district levels, as well as at the Election Commission Secretariat in Islamabad to address region-specific complaints efficiently. Trained personnel are stationed at the centers to provide swift and efficient solutions to public grievances.”
“This multi-level approach ensures efficient complaint resolution and provides easily accessible support to the public,” he added.
“The Election Commission of Pakistan is committed to maintaining the integrity of the electoral process and addressing concerns in a timely manner,” the spokesperson said.
“Complaints can be submitted at EMCCs on October 19 from 8 AM to 5 PM. Beginning October 20, the control rooms will continue to communicate with relevant personnel and stakeholders, remaining operational until the electoral process concludes,” he informed.
The spokesperson prompted individuals to file their concerns regarding LG bye-elections with their EMCC through email at [email protected], emphasizing the availability of a round-the-clock helpline at 051-111-327-000 for their convenience.
The control center is equipped with monitoring capabilities for both social media and electronic media. Moreover, complaints can be lodged via fax at 051-9204404.
ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) legal team has advised to restore the lawmakers who were suspended after the Supreme Court landmark verdict on the reserved seats, ARY News reported citing sources.
According to sources, the ECP meeting headed by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja concluded, with legal team advising the commission to implement its decision after the election act as every institution is bound to do so.
Sources revealed that the legal team told ECP after the election act amendment the Supreme Court reserved seats verdict stands ineffective hereby the suspended lawmakers shall be restored.
Earlier, the ECP moved the Supreme Court, to seek guidance on the allocation of reserved seats to the PTI.
The ECP filed a review petition in the top court, challenging the clarification of majority of SC judges on the reserved seats verdict issued on September 14.
The ECP noted that ECP is not responsible for delaying the verdict by the SC as it challenged the July 12 verdict on July 25 but the clarification was issued on September 14.
The commission also stated in its review plea that neither PTI, nor the electoral body was issued notices regarding the relevant documents of the PTI.
SC verdict
A 13-member bench of the top court, headed by Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa, ruled that the PTI is eligible for the allocation of reserved seats, dealing a major setback to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s ruling coalition.
Justice Mansoor Ali Shah announced the 8-5 majority verdict, setting aside the Peshawar High Court’s (PHC) order wherein it had upheld the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) decision denying the reserved seats to the SIC.
Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa, Justice Jamal Mandokhail, Justice Naeem Afghan, Justice Yahya Afridi, and Justice Ameenuddin Khan opposed the majority decision.
Reserved seats issue
The reserved seats issue came to limelight after over 80 Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) backed independent candidates emerged victorious in the February 8 elections.
The SIC then approached the ECP on February 21 seeking allocation of reserved seats.
However, the PTI suffered a setback after the electoral body, citing the party’s failure to submit its list of candidates, denied allocating the reserved seats to the SIC via its 4-1 majority verdict on March 4.
The election commission distributed the reserved seats for women and minorities among other political parties.
The PTI-backed SIC had approached the court after the ECP refused to allocate the reserved seats due to the party’s failure to submit its list of candidates before the deadline. The Peshawar High Court (PHC) upheld the ECP’s decision, leading the SIC to appeal to the Supreme Court.
In the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly – according to a notification, the ECP allocated one reserved seat each to Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam Pakistan, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP).
In Sindh Assembly – allocated reserved seat for women to Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) and PPP. PPP’s Samita Afzal and MQM-P’s Fouzia Hameed elected on reserved seats.
Subsequently, the PHC ruling allowed the ruling coalition, comprising the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), and other allies, to gain a two-thirds majority in the National Assembly. This decision increased the PML-N’s seats to 123 and the PPP’s to 73, while the SIC held 82 seats.
ISLAMABAD: The consultative meeting of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on implementing Supreme Court’s (SC) decision regarding PTI’s reserved seats, concluded in Islamabad, ARY News reported, quoting sources.
As per details, the consultative meeting chaired by the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja was attended by the Secretary Election Commission, members, and the legal team.
The ECP was briefed by the legal team regarding the Supreme Court’s decision and the Election Act during the meeting.
The Election Commission of Pakistan’s legal team also briefed the body on letters received by the Commission.
Sources stated that letters were sent from the National and Punjab Assembly speakers.
In a separate development today, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) MNAs were declared as members of Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) in the new party position in National Assembly.
According to the National Assembly Secretariat’s new party position list, PTI is no longer a part of the National Assembly whereas all 80 members now represent the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC).
Previously, 39 members were part of PTI and 41 were independent. However, in the new list, all 80 members are part of the Sunni Ittehad Council in the party position after the new Election Act.
The new party position list also includes the seats won by PML-N, PPP, and JUI. PML-N has 110 seats, PPP has 69 seats, and JUI has 22 seats. Additionally, MQM has 22 seats, Q League 5 seats, and IPP 4 seats.
ISLAMABAD: Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja Friday suspended three officers over incompetence and mismanagement charges.
According to the notification issued by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) CEC Sikandar Sultan Raja suspended Sindh Election Commissioner Sharifullah, Director of Administration, Azhar Hussain Tunio and Karachi Election Officer Khuda Bux for 120 days over incompetence and mismanagement.
All three officers will remain in Karachi until the inquiry is completed and further orders are issued, according to the notification.
Earlier in August, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) strongly rejected propaganda by Omar Ayub Khan against the CEC and other members.
In this connection, a wrong statement was given on a TV channel in which an allegation was levelled that total expenditure on general elections 2024 stood at Rs 14.5 billion but the ECP demanded more expenditures to the then government to get an opportunity for postponing the elections, said a statement.
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Friday dismissed all four miscellaneous applications submitted by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in the intra-party election case.
A 10-page decision was issued by the Election Commission of Pakistan, authored by Sindh’s member, Nisar Durrani.
PTI’s objection regarding the Election Commission of Pakistan’s jurisdiction in the intra-party elections was overruled in the verdict. Additionally, PTI’s request to delay the proceedings in the case was also struck down.
The plea to postpone action on intra-party elections until a decision on reserved seats was similarly turned down. The ECP in its verdict has advised PTI to approach the court for the return of documents taken from the party office.
The decision emphasized that under Section 208 of the Election Act 2017, it is the Commission’s responsibility to review legal requirements.
The Election Commission of Pakistan also highlighted its duty to examine the facts before issuing certificates under Section 209(3).
ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has decided to file a review plea against the Supreme Court’s (SC) verdict on Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) reserved seats, ARY News reported citing sources.
According to sources, the ECP has instructed its legal team to prepare an appeal against the verdict and will file the appeal within the next two days.
The commission is an independent constitutional body and will defend its authority in the apex court, sources said.
The ECP will also challenge the top court’s decision to give independent candidates 15 days to submit their papers, sources said. According to the constitution, independent candidates have only three days to submit their papers, sources added.
The ECP has also raised objections to the Supreme Court’s decision to allow candidates who were not awarded party tickets to contest elections, sources said. Simply writing “Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf” on the nomination papers does not make someone a party candidate, ECP sources added.
The ECP has already approached the top court to clarify ambiguities in the verdict, sources said. However, the Supreme Court has not responded to the ECP’s queries yet, sources added.
SC verdict
A 13-member bench of the top court, headed by Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa, ruled that the PTI is eligible for the allocation of reserved seats, dealing a major setback to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s ruling coalition.
Justice Mansoor Ali Shah announced the 8-5 majority verdict, setting aside the Peshawar High Court’s (PHC) order wherein it had upheld the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) decision denying the reserved seats to the SIC.
Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa, Justice Jamal Mandokhail, Justice Naeem Afghan, Justice Yahya Afridi, and Justice Ameenuddin Khan opposed the majority decision.
Reserved seats issue
The reserved seats issue came to limelight after over 80 Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) backed independent candidates emerged victorious in the February 8 elections.
The SIC then approached the ECP on February 21 seeking allocation of reserved seats.
However, the PTI suffered a setback after the electoral body, citing the party’s failure to submit its list of candidates, denied allocating the reserved seats to the SIC via its 4-1 majority verdict on March 4.
The election commission distributed the reserved seats for women and minorities among other political parties.
The PTI-backed SIC had approached the court after the ECP refused to allocate the reserved seats due to the party’s failure to submit its list of candidates before the deadline. The Peshawar High Court (PHC) upheld the ECP’s decision, leading the SIC to appeal to the Supreme Court.
In the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly – according to a notification, the ECP allocated one reserved seat each to Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam Pakistan, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP).
In Sindh Assembly – allocated reserved seat for women to Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) and PPP. PPP’s Samita Afzal and MQM-P’s Fouzia Hameed elected on reserved seats.
Subsequently, the PHC ruling allowed the ruling coalition, comprising the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), and other allies, to gain a two-thirds majority in the National Assembly. This decision increased the PML-N’s seats to 123 and the PPP’s to 73, while the SIC held 82 seats.
ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has approached the Supreme Court to seek clarification on a ruling regarding the allocation of reserved seats to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
According to ECP, PTI has not conducted intra-party elections, raising questions about the legitimacy of its party structure.
“PTI is not functioning as a proper organization due to the lack of intra-party elections”, sources quoted ECP as saying.
The ECP has requested the SC to clarify who holds the authority to issue party certificates and how these should be recognized.
Sources told ARY News that the commission would decide on de-notifying 77 members who had reached the assemblies on reserved seats.
SC verdict
A 13-member bench of the top court, headed by Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa, ruled that the PTI is eligible for the allocation of reserved seats, dealing a major setback to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s ruling coalition.
Justice Mansoor Ali Shah announced the 8-5 majority verdict, setting aside the Peshawar High Court’s (PHC) order wherein it had upheld the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) decision denying the reserved seats to the SIC.
Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa, Justice Jamal Mandokhail, Justice Naeem Afghan, Justice Yahya Afridi, and Justice Ameenuddin Khan opposed the majority decision.
Reserved seats issue
The reserved seats issue came to limelight after over 80 Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) backed independent candidates emerged victorious in the February 8 elections.
The SIC then approached the ECP on February 21 seeking allocation of reserved seats.
However, the PTI suffered a setback after the electoral body, citing the party’s failure to submit its list of candidates, denied allocating the reserved seats to the SIC via its 4-1 majority verdict on March 4.
The election commission distributed the reserved seats for women and minorities among other political parties.
The PTI-backed SIC had approached the court after the ECP refused to allocate the reserved seats due to the party’s failure to submit its list of candidates before the deadline. The Peshawar High Court (PHC) upheld the ECP’s decision, leading the SIC to appeal to the Supreme Court.
In the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly – according to a notification, the ECP allocated one reserved seat each to Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam Pakistan, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP).
In Sindh Assembly – allocated reserved seat for women to Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) and PPP. PPP’s Samita Afzal and MQM-P’s Fouzia Hameed elected on reserved seats.
Subsequently, the PHC ruling allowed the ruling coalition, comprising the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), and other allies, to gain a two-thirds majority in the National Assembly. This decision increased the PML-N’s seats to 123 and the PPP’s to 73, while the SIC held 82 seats.
ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has decided to implement the Supreme Court (SC) verdict declaring PTI eligible for reserved seats, ARY News reported.
According to the ECP spokesperson, the commission has issued instructions to its legal team to ensure the implementation of the Supreme Court decision.
The spokesperson clarified that the ECP has not misinterpreted the SC’s verdict and has not declared the intra-party elections as valid. Instead, the commission has held that the PTI’s intra-party elections were not in accordance with the law, and therefore, the candidates who submitted their nomination papers without a party ticket and declaration could not be considered PTI candidates.
The spokesperson emphasized that the ECP is committed to upholding the law and the Constitution, despite any pressure or criticism from political parties.
The commission has also clarified that it has not deviated from its stance on the issue and has not given any unnecessary benefit to any party.
SC verdict
A 13-member bench of the top court, headed by Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa, ruled that the PTI is eligible for the allocation of reserved seats, dealing a major setback to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s ruling coalition.
Justice Mansoor Ali Shah announced the 8-5 majority verdict, setting aside the Peshawar High Court’s (PHC) order wherein it had upheld the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) decision denying the reserved seats to the SIC.
Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa, Justice Jamal Mandokhail, Justice Naeem Afghan, Justice Yahya Afridi, and Justice Ameenuddin Khan opposed the majority decision.
Reserved seats issue
The reserved seats issue came to limelight after over 80 Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) backed independent candidates emerged victorious in the February 8 elections.
The SIC then approached the ECP on February 21 seeking allocation of reserved seats.
However, the PTI suffered a setback after the electoral body, citing the party’s failure to submit its list of candidates, denied allocating the reserved seats to the SIC via its 4-1 majority verdict on March 4.
The election commission distributed the reserved seats for women and minorities among other political parties.
The PTI-backed SIC had approached the court after the ECP refused to allocate the reserved seats due to the party’s failure to submit its list of candidates before the deadline. The Peshawar High Court (PHC) upheld the ECP’s decision, leading the SIC to appeal to the Supreme Court.
In the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly – according to a notification, the ECP allocated one reserved seat each to Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam Pakistan, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP).
In Sindh Assembly – allocated reserved seat for women to Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) and PPP. PPP’s Samita Afzal and MQM-P’s Fouzia Hameed elected on reserved seats.
Furthermore, PPP’s Sadhu Mal alias Surinder Valasai secured minority seat in Sindh Assembly.
The ECP allocated three reserved seats for minorities to PML-N, PPP and JUI-F – which were claimed by Sunni Ittehad Council. PML-N’s Neelam Meghwar, PPP’s Ramesh Kumar and JUI-F’s James Iqbal were elected on the minority seats.
Subsequently, the PHC ruling allowed the ruling coalition, comprising the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), and other allies, to gain a two-thirds majority in the National Assembly. This decision increased the PML-N’s seats to 123 and the PPP’s to 73, while the SIC held 82 seats.
ISLAMABAD: A meeting of Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has been summoned to discuss reserved seats verdict by the Supreme Court (SC), ARY News reported on Tuesday, citing sources.
A 13-member bench of the top court, headed by Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa, ruled that the PTI is eligible for the allocation of reserved seats, dealing a major setback to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s ruling coalition.
Justice Mansoor Ali Shah announced the 8-5 majority verdict, setting aside the Peshawar High Court’s (PHC) order wherein it had upheld the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) decision denying the reserved seats to the SIC.
Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa, Justice Jamal Mandokhail, Justice Naeem Afghan, Justice Yahya Afridi, and Justice Ameenuddin Khan opposed the majority decision.
The meeting will be held on July 18 to discuss the options to implement the SC’s verdict in SIC reserved seats. Secretary Election Commission of Pakistan and legal wing officials will brief the commission.
The ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has filed a review petition against the Supreme Court’s verdict declaring PTI eligible for reserved seats.
The PML-N filed a review petition in the apex court, urging the top court to withdraw its July 12 order.
In its peal, the PML-N argued that the PTI was not even a party in the case as it was Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) which approached the Supreme Court.
The PML-N plea stated that SC’s order to award reserved seats to PTI on SIC plea is tantamount to violation of law.
The PML-N in its petition has made the SIC and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) as respondents.
ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) decided to give three salaries as bonus to its officers and employees, ARY News reported on Friday, quoting an official document.
According to letters dispatched to the provincial election commissioners, the ECP has informed that employees and officers will get three basic salaries as bonus.
Those who are facing departmental inquiries and moved to services tribunals or judiciary will not be eligible for the bonus, the ECP letter stated.
Sources have claimed that the ECP has already given two salary bonuses to its employees in March after conducting the general elections in February.
As per rules of the finance ministry, no institution is allowed to give five bonuses to its staff in a single fiscal year.
Following the general elections on February 8, CEC Sikandar Sultan Raja lauded the services of the body’s staff, law enforcement agencies and the local administration on the peaceful conduct of the polls that ensured smooth transfer of powers from the caretakers to the elected government.
However, allegations of rigging were also raised on the process.
In a shocking ‘revelation’, Rawalpindi Commissioner Liaquat Ali Chatha – who stepped down from his post – confessed to be involved in rigging the Pakistan general elections 2024.
Taking responsibility for what he termed a “heinous crime,” Chatha implicated not only himself but also accused the Election Commission of Pakistan and Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa of involvement in the ‘rigging’ — a claim denied by the ECP and the CJP.
