ISLAMABAD: According to Kanwar Muhammad Dilshad, a former secretary of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), a candidate is not required to appear before the returning officer when submitting nomination papers or during scrutiny, as The News reported on Wednesday.
Dilshad made his statement in response to a report claiming that nomination papers of candidates who are either deemed proclaimed felons or in hiding could be disqualified if they fail to appear before their respective ROs when called.
The Election Act of 2017’s Section 62 states that the candidate need not be present when the nomination papers are scrutinized.
According to the previous ECP secretary, former President General (ret.) Pervez Musharraf issued an election order in 2002. According to Dilshad, the election order was malicious and intended to prevent former prime ministers Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto from appearing before the returning officer.
He stated that Bhutto and Sharif were exempt from submitting their nomination papers and making an in-person appearance during the period of examination since the ECP had changed the Election Order 2002 in 2007.
The proposer, the candidate’s election agent, and any voters who have filed an objection under subsection (1) must be present when the nomination papers are being scrutinized. The returning officer is required to provide him with a fair chance to review each nomination document.
He emphasized that each candidate should be aware of this crucial legal matter. According to him, 32,000 nomination papers had been submitted, setting a record. He asserted, “With this, the talk of some candidates’ nomination papers being stolen became ineffective.”
The examination is scheduled to end on Saturday, December 30. According to the ECP, appeals against nomination papers’ acceptance or rejection may be submitted by January 3, 2024, with a decision expected by January 10, 2024.
On January 11, 2024, the Election Commission will release the updated list of candidates. Until January 12, 2024, candidates may withdraw their candidacies.
