Presidential election on Tuesday, preparations completed

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has completed preparations for holding of presidential election on Tuesday (Sept 4).

According to an ECP official, the polling for the election of President of Pakistan will be held at the Parliament House Islamabad and provincial assembly buildings of all the four provinces.

The polling will start at 10am and continue till 4pm.

Three candidates, including Aitzaz Ahsan, Arif-ur-Rehman Alvi and Fazlur Rehman are in the run for the top slot.

Chief Election Commissioner Justice Sardar Muhammad Raza will serve as returning officer and high court chief justices as presiding officers.

Five presiding officers appointed by the ECP for conduct of presidential election include Islamabad High Court Chief Justice for Senate of Pakistan and National Assembly, Lahore High Court Chief Justice for Provincial Assembly of the Punjab, High Court of Sindh Chief Justice for Provincial Assembly of Sindh, Peshawar High Court Chief Justice for Provincial Assembly of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan High Court Chief Justice for Provincial Assembly of Balochistan.

The ECP official said the Commission had invited attention of the members of the parliament and all the provincial assemblies to the Article 12 of the Second Schedule of the Constitution, which envisaged that election to the office of the President, would be held by secret ballot.

The Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), he said, had directed the presiding officers to ensure that the secrecy of the ballot was not violated through any mode whatsoever by the voters.

The CEC also imposed ban upon members of the parliament and all provincial assemblies for taking with them mobile phone or any other electronic device, through which picture could be taken.

He said the ECP had requested the members of National Assembly to ensure to keep with them their identity cards issued by the National Assembly Secretariat on the polling day.