The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has decided to extend the deadline for filing nomination papers by two days, following requests from several political parties, including the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).
In an announcement made on Friday, the ECP stated that candidates would now have until December 25 to submit their nomination papers, while political parties could present priority lists for reserved seats until December 24. The scrutiny process for nomination papers is scheduled to take place from December 25 to December 30.
Initially, the ECP had set the nomination papers filing period from December 20 to 22. However, political parties such as Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F), Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan (MQM-P), PML-N, and Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) approached the Election Commission, seeking an extension in the filing deadline.
Senator Ishaq Dar, representing the PML-N, wrote a letter to the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) requesting a two-day extension until December 24.
Dar emphasized the limited timeframe, with only three days allocated for filing nominations and seven days reserved for the scrutiny process. He pointed out that the nomination process involves gathering various details and documents, including no objection certificates (NOCs) from different public sector departments.
Dar highlighted that the nomination process is time-consuming, and any oversight could result in the rejection of nomination papers. The extension aims to provide candidates with sufficient time to complete the necessary paperwork without compromising the integrity of the nomination process.
