Tag: Returning Officer

  • ECP to complete printing of ballot papers by February 2

    ECP to complete printing of ballot papers by February 2

    The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) said on Tuesday that it will complete the process of printing ballot papers by February 2, as the upcoming elections are set to take place on February 8, 2024.

    Electoral authorities directed security officials to deliver ballot papers in all provinces across the country.

    The ECP spokesperson said that three government press institutes are currently printing ballot papers, and the process is going well.

    “The printing work, which started on January 16 after the allotment of election symbols by returning officers (ROs), will be completed in the next four days, i.e. by February 2,” the ECP official said.

    He also stated that returning officers (ROs) and district administrations have started the delivery process of ballot papers with the help of security officials. The ballot papers will be delivered by both road and air.    

    Other than that, the ECP official also said that people can send SMS at 8300 to get information about their polling station.

    Voters will have to send their identity card number to 8300 to get their vote information. All voters have been requested to get details of their and their families’ votes on time so that they do not face any problems finding polling stations.

  • Those who chant ‘vote ko izzat do’ bought votes for Rs2,000: Fawad hits at PML-N over a leaked video

    Those who chant ‘vote ko izzat do’ bought votes for Rs2,000: Fawad hits at PML-N over a leaked video

    Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry on Sunday said those who chant “vote ko izzat do” (give respect to vote) slogan bought votes for Rs2,000 for the upcoming by-election in Lahore.

    His comments come in relevance to the viral video in which workers of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) can be allegedly seen distributing cash among the voters of the Lahore constituency. The video surfaced days ahead of the by-election in Lahore’s NA-133 constituency scheduled for December 5.

    https://twitter.com/SHABAZGIL/status/1464717252846964739

    Addressing a public gathering Fawad said, “I hope that when the offices of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) would open on Monday, they would take notice of the matter and would ask the PML-N how getting votes by distributing money was a service to democracy and giving respect to the ballot.”

    Taking a jibe at PML-N vice president Maryam Nawaz, Fawad said that she and her husband Captain (retd) Mohammad Safdar should bid adieu to politics, further adding that whenever their case was about to be heard in courts, they leaked fake videos to pressure judges and state institutions.

    “Maryam Nawaz had said she did not own any property in London and even in Pakistan but after Panama Leaks, we came to know that she owned property worth billions not only in Pakistan but also abroad. We repeatedly ask them to show receipts, else there are only two options: to return the money or go to jail,” said Fawad.

    The video created an uproar in the political arena, as PML-N and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leaders accused each other of trying to buy votes in the constituency.

    Later on Sunday, Returning Officer (RO) Syed Basit Ali wrote separate letters to the Punjab Police chief, the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA), Lahore deputy commissioner, and the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra), drawing attention and seeking more information about the persons seen in the video clips to take action against them.

    The lower house seat from Lahore fell vacant due to the death of PML-N MNA Pervaiz Malik, who died on October 11 due to heart-related complications.