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ECP begins receiving nomination papers

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  • Candidates can collect forms from 8:30am-4:30pm.
  • ECP to release preliminary list of candidates on Dec 23.
  • Scrutiny of nomination papers will be held from Dec 24-30.

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) Wednesday began the process of receiving nomination papers from potential candidates who are set to contest polls on February 8 next year.

The candidates can collect forms from the electoral body from 8:30am to 4:30pm, and submit their nominate papers by December 22 (Friday).

Meanwhile, the ECP will release the preliminary list of candidates on December 23, while the scrutiny of nomination papers will be held from December 24 to 30.

The electoral authority will allot election symbols to parties and independent candidates on January 13, a little less than a month in the lead-up to the polls on February 8.

In Karachi, the nomination papers will be filed for 22 National Assembly seats and 47 provincial assembly seats, while 69 returning officers (ROs) and seven district returning officers (DROs) have been posted for the national and provincial assemblies.

The ECP earlier said prospective candidates for reserved seats for women and minorities in the provincial legislatures and the National Assembly can get their nomination papers from their respective ROs and the district election commission at a cost.

However, nomination papers will have to be submitted to their respective ROs from December 20 to December 22. And all matters, including scrutiny, will also be conducted there.

The process of collecting nomination papers begins after the oathtaking of district returning officers (DROs) and returning officers (ROs) by the electoral body as per the Elections Act 2017.

At least 859 returning ROs already completed their three-day training on Monday, while 144 DROs were trained on Tuesday. The ROs had already received a one-day training before a Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) office-bearer and lawyer moved the Lahore High Court, leading to the suspension of the notification of their appointment. Their training, consequently, was suspended on December 14.

However, the Supreme Court set aside the LHC order and directed the ECP to issue the election schedule, which resulted in the restoration of notification concerning DROs and ROs.

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Sheikh Rasheed says PTI and government negotiations won’t provide any results.

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Sheikh Rasheed voiced his worries about the nation’s ongoing political dilemma while speaking outside the Anti-Terrorism Court.

According to Sheikh Rasheed, a committee was established to negotiate, but the process has not produced any tangible results. In order to emphasize the seriousness of the situation, he said, “Political conditions are extremely bad.”

He made the joke, “Even after war, if negotiations fail, then it will all come down to judo karate,” in reference to the next steps.

“Everyone there prays for Pakistan’s betterment,” Sheikh Rasheed, who had returned from Saudi Arabia, said. He emphasized the necessity for the nation’s circumstances to improve and stabilize.

Assad Qaiser, a former speaker and PTI leader, had earlier called on Speaker Ayaz Sadiq of the National Assembly to discuss the official start of talks with the government.

The two leaders shared their opinions on bringing parties together on matters of national importance and reducing political tensions and conflict.

“I will persuade my people, you persuade the hardliners in your party,” Ayaz Sadiq said to Assad Qaiser.

The party’s founder is in jail, and the PTI leadership has asked to meet with him. “We will continue to confer with him,” Assad Qaiser declared.

Earlier, PTI leader Shaukat Yousafzai stated that if the discussions don’t begin, a campaign of civil disobedience will begin on December 14.

Speaking to the media Regarding the meetings, Yousafzai claimed that the government ministers were making insincere remarks.

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Bushra Bibi maintains bail as the IHC concludes the FIA’s petition.

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The Islamabad High Court (IHC) conducted a hearing about the Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) plea for the revocation of Bushra Bibi’s bail.

The court, led by Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb, rejected the FIA’s petition during the hearing.

Judicial Proceedings

Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb sought information regarding Bushra Bibi’s location, to which her attorney, Barrister Salman Safdar, affirmed her attendance in court.

The judge urged the counsel to regard the matters with gravity, underscoring the necessity of adherence to trial protocols.

The court sought details about instances where Bushra Bibi had been exempted from attending trial hearings and clarified that if the High Court grants bail and the accused fails to appear, the trial court holds the authority to cancel the bail.

Justice Aurangzeb assured that such actions would not amount to contempt of the High Court’s order.

Based on these considerations, the court closed the proceedings and dismissed the FIA’s plea.

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The Supreme Court has granted the appeal of the PTI founder for a judicial probe into the events of May 9.

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The Supreme Court has officially accepted the plea submitted by the PTI chairman for a judicial probe into the events of May 9 for a comprehensive hearing.

The constitutional bench of the Supreme Court annulled the registrar’s office’s objections to the petition and instructed the office to allocate a case number and arrange the hearing.

The PTI chairman was represented by prominent attorney Hamid Khan, who appeared in court to argue for the petition’s admission.

The Lahore Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) already convicted Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan in connection with the incidents on May 9 and denied his bail on eight distinct counts.

The court’s finding was delivered in a six-page written order by ATC Judge Manzar Ali Gul.

The written ruling emphasized substantial evidence against the PTI founder, comprising audio and visual recordings of his directives to incite violence.

The court observed that witnesses had provided testimony on the conspiracy planned by Imran Khan at Zaman Park, where he purportedly strategized for his possible arrest by intending to disrupt state functions via his supporters.

Imran Khan’s legal counsel contended that he was in custody at the time of the incidents, proposing that bail be granted in accordance with precedents where bail was awarded in like circumstances following detention.

Nevertheless, the court rejected this argument, underscoring that the case’s nature was not a trifling issue of conspiracy or incitement.

The prosecution established that Mr. Khan had explicitly incited assaults on military and governmental facilities and had galvanized both his commanders and supporters to adhere to his directives.

The decision additionally cited the Lahore High Court’s finding regarding a prior release granted to Ijaz Chaudhry, highlighting Imran Khan’s involvement in the conspiracy. The court dismissed the defense’s challenge over the prosecution’s lack of specificity concerning the date, time, or location of the purported conspiracy, affirming that the scheme was allegedly devised on May 7 and May 9 at Zaman Park.

The prosecution asserts that undercover police officers, masquerading as PTI supporters, intercepted discussions outlining the scheme.

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