The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) appointed chief justices of four high courts and an ECP member as presiding officers for the upcoming presidential elections.
Following the February 8 general elections, President Arif Alvi’s term is nearing its end. The Constitution mandates the election of a new president within 30 days post-election, setting the deadline for March 9.
The Islamabad High Court’s chief justice will oversee the presidential election in the Senate and National Assembly. An ECP member will serve as the presiding officer for the Punjab Assembly in Lahore.
The chief justices of the Sindh and Peshawar High Courts have been designated for the Sindh Assembly in Karachi and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly in Peshawar, respectively. The Balochistan High Court’s chief justice will manage the Balochistan Assembly and Quetta election.
Presiding officers will accept candidates’ nomination papers and oversee parliament and provincial assembly meetings. The election schedule is set for announcement by the ECP on March 1.
Asif Ali Zardari is anticipated to become president again as the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), among others, plan a coalition government.
PPP’s Bilawal Bhutto Zardari stated his party’s support for a PML-N prime ministerial candidate without joining the federal government. Regarding constitutional positions like the National Assembly speaker, Senate chairman, and president, Bilawal preferred Zardari, citing his potential to address the nation’s challenges.
