Starting tomorrow, individuals have the opportunity to submit their nomination papers.
In Islamabad, District Returning Officers (DROs) and Returning Officers (ROs), having taken the oath as per the Elections Act 2017 on December 19, will commence the acceptance of nomination papers from potential candidates starting December 20 (tomorrow).
On Tuesday, 144 DROs are scheduled to undergo one-day training, while 859 Returning ROs completed their three-day training on Monday.
Earlier, the Lahore High Court suspended the notification of ROs' appointment and their training following a move by a PTI office-bearer and lawyer. However, the Supreme Court overturned the LHC order, instructing the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to issue the election schedule, leading to the reinstatement of the notification for DROs and ROs.
A senior ECP official explained that Provincial Election Commissioners (PECs) would administer oaths to DROs in their respective provinces, and then each DRO would administer oaths to ROs and assistant ROs in the district.
Additionally, ROs would administer oaths to presiding officers under their jurisdiction, and presiding officers would do the same for polling staff members before the start of the poll. Law enforcement agency heads or their authorized officers would administer oaths to officials deputed for election duty.
In another update, the ECP announced that prospective candidates for reserved seats for women and minorities in provincial legislatures and the National Assembly could obtain nomination papers from their respective ROs and district election commissions at a cost. The submission of nomination papers to respective ROs is set to take place from December 20 to December 22, with all related matters, including scrutiny, being conducted at those locations.
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