Training of DROs, ROs resumes across country

Islamabad: Training of District Returning Officers and Returning Officers has resumed across the country.

According to the details provided by the Election Commission, the training will be completed on Tuesday.

A total of 859 returning officers and 144 district returning officers are being trained by the senior officers of the Election Commission.

On Friday, the apex court had suspended the orders of the Lahore High Court (LHC) regarding training of the training of district returning officers (DROs) and returning officers (ROs).

A SC bench headed by Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa passed the order while hearing the matter late on Friday night. Justice Sardar Tariq Masood and Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah were the other membes of the bench.

The decision cleared the path for the elections to proceed on February 8, aligning with the significant demand from political stakeholders and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

The top court had also directed the ECP to announce election schedule the same day.

CJP Isa expressed seriuos concerns over delay in announcemnet of the scheule, observing that there should be no delay. The ECP also assured the top court to withdraw its notification.  The apex court also barred the LHC from further proceedings on the plea of Umair Niazi.

The LHC's decision added complexity to the arrangements for the February 8 general elections in 2024, as it suspended the electoral body's notification involving ROs and DROs from the bureaucracy.

To ensure timely elections, the election commission filed a plea in the Supreme Court, with major political parties, including Pakistan Peoples Party, Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party, Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid, Balochistan Awami Party, and Awami National Party, joining the case.

The decision to file the plea was made after Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja and Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Justice Qazi Faez Isa discussed the potential implications of the LHC decision.