The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has resumed the training of returning officers (ROs) and district returning officers (DROs) following the recent Supreme Court verdict confirming February 8, 2024, as the date for the upcoming general elections.
The Supreme Court’s decision, announced during a Friday evening hearing on the ECP’s plea challenging the Lahore High Court’s order that had halted the training of ROs and DROs less than two months before the scheduled elections, has cleared the way for the elections to proceed as planned.
During the appeal hearing, a three-member bench discussed measures to prevent any delays in the electoral process. The apex court’s decision aligns with the demands of political stakeholders and the electoral body.
The Lahore High Court had suspended the ECP’s decision to appoint ROs and DROs from the executive branch in response to a plea filed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawyer Umair Niazi.
In an official statement, the electoral body announced that training has commenced nationwide and is set to conclude on December 19. Senior ECP officers are currently providing training to 859 ROs and 144 DROs.
To ensure compliance with the training schedule, the DRO Islamabad, acting on ECP’s directives, has imposed a ban on holidays for officers and officials of government institutions in Islamabad. The DRO Islamabad specifically instructed officers from the education department to remain in Islamabad and urged officials from the Federal Directorate of Education to follow suit.
