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‘If National Assembly completes its tenure then election will be held before October 11’

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  • Official says ECP has approached judiciary for ROs, DROs.
  • Says polls will be organised under new election laws.
  • Adds electoral authority is in touch with all institutions. 

Election Commission of Pakistan’s Special Secretary Zafar Iqbal has said that if the National Assembly is dissolved as per the competition of its tenure, then the ECP will hold the polls before October 11.

“If the assembly is dissolved after the completion of the term on August 12, then we will hold the elections before October 11,” Iqbal said during a media briefing alongside Secretary Omar Hamid Khan on Thursday. 

He added that the elections will be held based on the delimitation done after the 2017 census.

The special secretary also said that the ECP will get security officials for the polls and is in touch with all institutions. He added that the ECP has also purchased watermarked paper.

“Elections will be held as per the new electoral reforms,” Iqbal added.

On the other hand, Hamid Khan said that they have approached the judiciary for the deployment of officers as district returning officers (DROs) and returning officers (ROs). He added that they have sent letters to the registrars of Islamabad, Peshawar and Sindh high courts for ROs. While they sent a reminder letter to Peshawar and Punjab high courts as they had made the request earlier.

Last month, parliament made amendments to the Election Act 2017 that made changes to the electoral process.  

The bill was approved by Sadiq Sanjarani, who was the interim president at the time.  

Senate Chairman Sanjrani, assumed the role of acting president as President Arif Alvi left for Saudi Arabia to perform Hajj, signed the summary forwarded by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

Under the amendments the the disqualification of a parliamentarian has been limited to a maximum of five years, paving the way for those barred for life from running for public office.

“Notwithstanding anything contained in any other provisions of this Act, any other law for the time being in force and Judgment, orders or decree of any court, including the Supreme Court and a High Court, the disqualification of a person to be elected, chosen, or to remain as a member of the Majlis-e-Shoora (Parliament) of 9 Provincial Assembly under Paragraph (1) of clause (1) of Article 62 of the Constitution shall be for a period not exceeding five years from the declaration by the court of law in that regard and such declaration shall be subject to the due process of law,” the bill reads.

The amendment also allowed the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to announce the date for polls unilaterally, without the president’s approval.

“…the Commission shall by notification in the official gazette announce the date or dates, as the case may be, of the general elections,” the bill reads, amending Section 58 of the Election Act.

The law allows the election commission to make changes to the election programme after announcing the date, but it would have to do it “in writing”.

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The PPP and PML-N will confer on power-sharing arrangements in Punjab today.

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The coordination committees of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) are scheduled to convene today at the Governor’s House in Lahore to deliberate on power-sharing arrangements in Punjab.

The PPP delegation would comprise Punjab Governor Sardar Saleem Haider, Raja Pervez Ashraf, Makhdoom Syed Ahmed Mahmood, Nadeem Afzal Chan, Hassan Murtaza, and Ali Haider Gilani.

Ishaq Dar, Azam Nazir Tarar, Rana Sanaullah, Malik Muhammad Ahmed Khan, and Maryam Aurangzeb will represent the PML-N.

The conference will discuss local issues in Punjab and offer a forum for the PPP to express its concerns over its collaboration with PML-N in the province.

Both parties seek to fortify their partnership and optimize governance techniques in Punjab.

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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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