Summary Candidates will have to go through the nomination process all over again.
ISLAMABAD: (Dunya News) – Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has declared all nomination papers – that were filed for local bodies polls in Punjab and Sindh – null and void, maintaining that the candidates will have to go through the paper-filing process all over again. As a result, ECP has unfrozen all electoral lists.
Meanwhile, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assembly has also submitted for postponing the local bodies polls.
Election Commission has reportedly taken the step to eliminate the confusion for the candidates over a number of delayes occurred owing the lack of preparations and court orders about delimitations.
According to reports, the whole process starting from filing nomination papers will begin all over again and the candidates will only have to file the papers this time and ECP has also announced the consolidation of the filing fee for those candidates who have already paid the nomination fee.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has also submitted to the Election Commission that the provincial government is unable to hold local bodies elections in February as per schedule. The new requested date for LB polls is the last week of March this year.
Following the developments, ECP has unfrozen the electoral lists and the new voters can now be added to the list. The restrictions over appointments and transfers in both the provinces have also been lifted.
The local bodies polls have been delayed a number of times earlier as well due to various management related issues. The polls, originally scheduled to be held in December, were postponed on the plea of government. The polls again came to a halt as the delimitation process in both the provinces were challenged and declared void by the high courts.
Local body polls now stand postponed and the new dates for the process will be announced accordingly.
