ISLAMABAD – The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has recommended that the 2018 general elections be held by the end of July, a private news channel reported on Tuesday.
According to the report, ECP officials have been pondering over July 25 or 26 (Wednesday or Thursday) as tentative dates to conduct the polls.
However, the spokesperson Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) Altaf Khan said all is set to hold general elections in the country.
The spokesperson said the commission staff is focusing to finalize arrangements and emphasis is being laid on facilities especially for disabled persons.
He said that a physical survey was launched across the country to prepare report pertaining to missing facilities. The commission has sent letters to all chief ministers to observe the law and order situation during the upcoming general elections, he added.
20,498 polling stations across Pakistan are sensitive:
Meanwhile, as many as 20,498 polling stations across the country are declared sensitive while 4,834 polling stations don’t even have boundary walls, the officials of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) said.
While giving a briefing in a meeting of the ECP held in Islamabad on Tuesday with Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Justice Sardar Muhammad Raza in the Chair to review arrangements for the forthcoming general elections, the officials said that 5,568 sensitive polling stations are in Punjab while 5,776 are in Sindh.
They said that likewise, 7,386 polling stations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and 1,768 in Balochistan have been declared sensitive.
The ECP officials said that 4,834 polling stations established across the Country are without boundary walls. They said that 6,942 polling stations are without electricity, 7,371 don’t have the facility of water supply, 4,322 have no central door while no bathroom exists in 4,011 polling stations.
Furthermore, the officials apprised that for next general elections, 86,436 polling stations will be established across the Country. They said that 48,667 polling stations in Punjab, 18,647 in Sindh, 14,655 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and FATA, and 4,476 in Balochistan will be set up.
The ECP officials said that District Returning Officers (DROs) will be imparted training on May 15 and 16.
They said that it’s imperative to ensure the security of Returning Officers (ROs) and DROs. They said that the election staff should be provided full protection.
The ECP meeting was attended by provincial Chief Secretaries, Chief Commissioner Islamabad and Additional Secretary FATA.
