Daily Times

MUZAFFARGARH: Deputy commissioner Muzaffargarh Syed Musa Raza held a meeting with the Returning Officers here Saturday and discussed arrangements for the June 9 polling to be held under phase one of the local body elections.

Presiding over the meeting, DC said that the schedule of the first phase of LB polls has been announced  and pledged to hold the elections in a fair, transparent and in accordance with the code of conduct announced by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

Raza said that Returning Officers would be provided training, however, added that they would be able to contact District Election Commissioner Syed Tayyab Zawar, ADCR Muhammad Shah Rukh, and deputy director development Anam Hafeez in case of any problem.

He said that all ROs would perform their duty honestly and no pressure would be tolerated in the way of holding elections in a fair and transparent manner.

DPO Tariq Wilayat said that a security plan has been prepared and promised that no police officer would be able to have undue influence over the election process. DPO said that officials would perform duty while rising above their personal affiliations.

Detailing election schedule, DEC Tayyab Zawar said that ROs would issue public notice for issuance of nomination papers on Apr 18 and candidates would be able to submit papers from Apr 21 to 25.

Candidates’ list would be announced on Apr 26 and scrutiny process would be carried out from Apr 27 to May 9. Candidates would be able to file appeals against rejection of nomination papers from May 10 to 12 and these appeals would be decided till May 14.

List of candidates would be made public on May 16. Candidates would be able to withdraw nominations on May 19 and the final list of contesting candidates would be made public the same day.

Symbols would be allotted to candidates on May 20 and polling would be held on June 9. Results of the elections would be made public till May 14.

It may be noted that LB polls phase one elections would be held in DG Khan, Layyah, Rajanpur, Bahawalpur, Muzaffargarh, Khanewal, Vehari, Sahiwal, Pakpattan, Toba Tek Singh, Chiniot, Khushab, Sialkot, Hafizabad, Mandi Bahauddin, Jhelum and Attock. Rest of the districts would witness elections in the phase II.