ECP issues schedule for Punjab elections due on May 14

Islamabad: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Wednesday  released a schedule for the Punjab Assembly elections.

The last date for deciding on appeals by the Appellate Tribunal is April 17, and the revised list of candidates will be published on April 18. Candidates can withdraw their candidacy until April 19, and election symbols will be allotted on April 20. Polling is scheduled for May 14.

The ECP decision was made after a consultative meeting, chaired by CEC Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja, was held in Islamabad. The meeting discussed the Supreme Court's verdict regarding Punjab Assembly elections, and ECP lawyers briefed the commission on the legal aspects and prospects of implementing the apex court's order. Participants also decided to consult the caretaker Punjab government for administrative and security matters, and to consult with the finance ministry for the release of funds required for Punjab polls.

On Tuesday, the Supreme Court nullified the electoral watchdog's decision to delay holding polls in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The court declared the ECP's order postponing the provincial assembly elections until October 8 as "unconstitutional" and ordered the government to release Rs21 billion funds for elections in Punjab by April 10. The top court also directed the caretaker government in Punjab to assist the commission and conduct Punjab polls on May 14.

Yesterday, the federal cabinet rejected the Supreme Court's verdict on elections, calling it a "minority verdict" and "non-implementable".