Mohsin Siddiqui (Chief Reporter)

general elections, the initiation of filing nomination papers is set to commence tomorrow (Wednesday). This follows the oath-taking ceremony for 144 district returning officers (DROs) and 859 returning officers (ROs) nationwide, scheduled for today (Tuesday). Subsequently, public notices will be issued, officially inviting nominations.

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has directed political parties’ attention to Section 104 of the Elections Act, urging them to submit priority lists of candidates for seats reserved for women and non-Muslims by December 22. As per the ECP’s timeline, prospective electoral candidates can file their nomination papers between December 20 and December 22.

Section 104(1) outlines the procedure for reserved seats, specifying that political parties must submit separate lists of candidates in order of priority within the designated timeframe. The submitted lists remain unalterable after the expiry of the nomination papers submission date.

Political parties are allowed to include additional names in their lists to accommodate any disqualifications or fill vacant seats during the assembly’s term.

Explaining the oath-taking process, an ECP official clarified that provincial election commissioners would administer the oath to DROs, who, in turn, would administer it to ROs and assistant ROs in their respective districts. Similarly, ROs would administer the oath to presiding officers, and the presiding officers to polling staff before polling begins. The head of the law enforcement agency or an authorized officer would administer the oath to agency officials on election duty.