ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Thursday extended the deadline for election candidates to submit nomination papers by two days to March 31, in addition the Commission also lifted ban on recruitments and transfers in government offices throughout the country.
According to a new election schedule announced on Thursday, nomination forms for electoral candidates will now be accepted until March 31 throughout the country, while the dates for other electoral processes has also been changed.
According to the original schedule, the deadline for submission was March 29.
After submission of candidacy papers, scrutiny will be undertaken by election staff from April 1 to April 7. Appeals against nomination papers may be filed until April 10, judgments on which would be made by April 16.
The final list of electoral candidates will now be released by the election commission on April 18. Polling will be held on 11th May as announced earlier.
On the other hand, the ban had been imposed by the ECP on recruitments and transfers in January 2013 because there was fear that the outgoing government could make recruitments and transfers on political grounds.
However, the ECP’s additional secretary Muhammad Afzal Khan said that a ban on diversion of funds already allocated to various development schemes was not being lifted.
The ECP’s additional secretary said the Commission had directed all government departments to make recruitments and transfers purely on merit.
DND
