The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Monday rejected reports that nomination papers for the upcoming Islamabad local government elections were not issued over the weekend, clarifying that offices of 16 Returning Officers (ROs) remained open from October 30 to November 1 and issued 1,847 nomination papers to prospective candidates.
ECP rejects claims of halt in Islamabad LG nomination process
ISLAMABAD, Nov 02 (APP): The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Monday rejected reports that nomination papers for the upcoming Islamabad local government elections were not issued over the weekend, clarifying that offices of 16 Returning Officers (ROs) remained open from October 30 to November 1 and issued 1,847 nomination papers to prospective candidates.
In a clarification issued on Monday, the ECP spokesperson said the reports stemmed from allegations made by a political office bearer during an interview with a private news channel, claiming that nomination papers had not been issued from Friday to Sunday and that the offices of Returning Officers remained closed.
Terming the allegations misleading and contrary to official records, the spokesperson said such statements could create confusion among voters and prospective candidates and were therefore strongly rejected.
According to the official record, all relevant Returning Officers’ offices remained operational throughout the three-day period, with 16 ROs issuing a total of 1,847 nomination papers.
The ECP urged the public and prospective candidates to rely only on authentic official sources for election-related information.
It further clarified that candidates could obtain and submit their nomination papers at the offices of their respective Returning Officers until November 6.
