Elections in Pakistan: ECP establishes deadline for paper ballots to be sent in

On April 21, there will be by-elections for 23 open seats in the NA and provincial assemblies. The ECP states that government employees, members of the armed forces, their families, and inmates in jails and lockups can use the postal ballot facility.

The electoral body clarified that if a ballot paper is printed against a person’s name, they will not be permitted to vote.

The commission states that there would be by-elections for six National Assembly seats that are vacant, 12 Punjab Assembly seats, 2 legislatures from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, and 1 Sindh Assembly seat.

The ECP announced that from March 16 to 18, nomination papers for the by-elections could be submitted to it. It further stated that on March 21, the nomination documents would be examined.

Until March 25, appeals against the nomination papers may be filed with the ECP.

The commission stated that nomination papers could be withdrawn until March 29 and that the election tribunal will consider appeals until March 28.

On March 29, the final candidate list will be made public, and on March 30, electoral emblems will be distributed.