ECP Extends Deadline For Filing Nomination Papers Until Sunday

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Friday extended its deadline for filing nomination papers for the February 8 general elections until Sunday (December 24) also asserting that the extension would not affect the poll date.

With just 45 days left for polls, the electoral watchdog has entered election mode. Last week, the ECP had issued the election schedule, putting an end to uncertainty surrounding the exercise.

As per the original schedule, the process to file nomination papers for national and provincial assemblies seats commenced on December 20 (Wednesday) and the deadline for the filing of the papers was expiring at 4:30pm today.

However, in a press note Friday morning, the electoral watchdog announced that nomination papers can now be filed till December 24. The ECP said the decision was taken in response to requests from political parties and to facilitate the candidacy process.

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The ECP has also directed the political parties to submit priority lists for the reserved seats to the returning officers within the stipulated time.

Returning officers will scrutinise the nomination papers from December 25 to December 30, as per the schedule.

PML-N leader Ishaq Dar, a day earlier, wrote a letter to the ECP seeking a two-day extension in the deadline to submit nomination papers.

In a letter posted on X, Dar — who is the chairman of the party’s election cell — had noted that the commission enjoys the power to make necessary amendments in the election schedule without affecting/changing the polling date.

The PML-N senator further said that only three days had been allocated for the filing of nomination papers while seven days had been given for the scrutiny of the same.