ISLAMABAD: On Friday, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) released a notice and schedule for the upcoming presidential election scheduled for March 9.
The notification, issued by the provisions outlined in the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, 1973, along with relevant articles, sets out the timetable for various election-related activities.
According to the ECP, candidates vying for the highest constitutional office in the country can submit their nomination papers by March 2 before 12:00 pm to the presiding officers located in Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar, and Quetta.
The scrutiny of the nomination papers by returning officers will take place on March 4, with the option to withdraw candidature available the following day.
Subsequently, the commission will publish the list of validly nominated candidates on the same day, while March 6 has been designated as the retirement date.
The polling to elect the next president is scheduled for March 9 at the National Assembly and all provincial assemblies, running from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm.
Earlier, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) appointed four chief justices from high courts along with one of its members as presiding officers to oversee the forthcoming presidential election.
Following the conclusion of the February 8 general elections and the subsequent formation of new governments, President Arif Alvi’s tenure is drawing to a close. According to constitutional stipulations, a new president must be elected within 30 days of general elections, necessitating the elections to be held by March 9.
The Islamabad High Court’s chief justice has been designated as the presiding officer for the presidential election in both the Senate and the National Assembly. Meanwhile, an ECP member will assume this role for the Punjab Assembly in Lahore.
Likewise, the Sindh High Court’s chief justice will preside over the proceedings for the Sindh Assembly in Karachi, while for the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly in Peshawar, this responsibility falls to the chief justice of the Peshawar High Court.
In the Balochistan Assembly in Quetta, the chief justice of the Balochistan High Court will oversee the presidential polls.
The ECP has outlined that these presiding officers will handle the acceptance of nomination papers from candidates and chair the meetings of the parliament and respective provincial assemblies.
The election commission is scheduled to announce the election timetable on March 1.
It is anticipated that former president Asif Ali Zardari will assume the presidency for the second time, as the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), among other political entities, have agreed to form a coalition government at the center.
