Daily Times

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has delegated first-class magistrate powers to the Presiding Officers to ensure the seamless execution of the general elections in 2024.

“All the Presiding Officers will have the powers of magistrate from February 7 to 9 in the upcoming general elections on February 8,” the spokesman of the ECP told APP.

The spokesman said that the Presiding Officers will be able to conduct trials on the spot besides the powers to be able them to proceed under Sections 169, 171 and 174 of the Election Act. He said the ECP had already granted the powers of a first-class magistrate to the District Returning Officers (DROs) and Returning Officers (ROs) to ensure smooth electoral process.

“The magisterial powers were conferred upon District Returning Officers (DROs) and Returning Officers (ROs) in accordance with Section 193 of the Election Act 2017,” he added. These powers can be utilized by ROs and DROs during the general elections for national and provincial assemblies in Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Balochistan until the official announcement of final results for the candidates. app

Ballot paper: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) announced on Wednesday a reduction in the size of the ballot paper for the upcoming election slated to take place on February 8.

During a high-level meeting convened to discuss the reprinting of ballot papers in certain constituencies, the Election Commission disclosed that the move to downsize the ballot paper is a response to the shortage of special security paper and time constraints.

The statement highlighted that the reprinting process has been necessitated by recent court decisions impacting various constituencies.