Election commission of Pakistan to review date of general elections

Important meeting of ECP was held to mull over holding of general elections, headed by Chief Election Commissioner Justice (rtd) Qazi Mohammed Farooq.

Commission members Justice Nasim Sikandar, Justice Ahmed Khan Lashari and other high officials attended the meeting.

The meeting was told that the work of Election Commission was affected, as the offices of the commission were set on fire on several places.

It was also told that a polling agent from Kurram Agency apprised the ECP in his letter that circumstances are not conducive for holding of the elections there.

It was expected that Chief Election Commissioner would announce to defer the elections for National and Provincial assemblies.

Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) will decide tomorrow about the fate of the January 8 general elections in the country, following the receipt of reports from other provinces.

"We have called for reports from the provincial governments and provincial election commissioners on the situation. The reports will reach here by evening today and we will decide tomorrow," commission secretary Kanwar Dilshad told reporters.
Expectations run high that a date in March would be assigned for polling.

People’s Party (PPP) leaders declared 40-day mourning after the death of Party Chairperson Benazir Bhutto and the mourning period would come to a close on February 10. Meantime, the holy month of Moharramul Haram is commencing from January 11 and the Chehlum of Kerbala Martyrs would take place on February 22. By this date, the severe chilly and frosty situation in Gulliat will have improved.

According to ECP, the offices of ECP and ballot boxes and voting scanners present there were torched in nine districts of Sindh including Sukkar, Jamshoro, Noshehroferoz, Qambar Shahdadkot, Thatta, Ghotki, Jackobabad, Badin and Dadu. In these areas, the training work of polling staff is affected as well.Geonews