The deadline for submitting nomination papers for candidates wishing to contest in the upcoming general elections for the National and Provincial Assembly in Pakistan is Sunday.
The deadline extension by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) comes after various political parties appealed for more time to file their nomination papers.
According to the revised schedule by the ECP, the scrutiny of nomination papers is set to occur from Monday to the end of the month. Following this appeals against accepting or rejecting these papers can be filed until January 3rd, with decisions expected by January 10th. The Commission plans to publish the final list of candidates on January 11th.
Candidates will then have until January 12th to withdraw their nominations. The allocation of electoral symbols to the candidates is scheduled for January 13th, leading to the general elections for February 8th.
Provisions for Foreign Observers and Election Monitoring
To ensure transparency and global engagement, the ECP has extended the application period for foreign observers wishing to monitor the general elections. These applications are now accepted from December 31st to January 20th. So far, the Commission has received responses from 103 foreign media representatives based in Pakistan.
The ECP has prepared over 200,000 accreditation cards and appointed District Monitoring Officers and teams to ensure adherence to the election code of conduct during this critical democratic process.
