With the deadline for the submission of nomination papers expiring on Sunday, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has received a total of 28,626 nomination papers from prospective candidates across the country aiming to contest upcoming polls slated for February 8, 2024.
As per the ECP’s data, 7,242 men along with 471 women have filed nomination papers for national assembly seats (general), whereas for provincial assemblies, the number stands at 17,744 and 802, respectively.
The ECP is currently carrying out scrutiny of the papers of the candidates, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has been delisted from the ECP scrutiny list, after the body stripped the party off its ‘Bat’ symbol.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf is already alleging for not been given a level playing field for the election. The PTI delegation called on the ECP officials in Islamabad, last week. On the PTI’s reservations, the ECP had penned the letters to the provincial election commissioner, chief secretaries, and Sindh IG.
The ECP wrote: “The election campaigns are going on with verve across the country. It is up to the commission to hold independent, transparent elections. According to Article 220, the federal and provincial governments are obliged to assist the ECP.”.
But on the same day the ECP announced its reserved verdict on the intra-party elections and stripped the party of its electoral symbol and nullified its elections.
The future of the election that were under shadow has cleared after the submission of nomination papers and scrutiny of the papers, but the way PTI is being kept out of the process will surely add the upcoming elections to the history of the country as yet another controversial poll.
