ECP reviews preparations for Punjab, KP polls

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday considered preparations for Punjab and KP assemblies’ elections and by-elections, reported the local media.

The session, chaired by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja, was told that the ECP has completed preparations for electoral material, polling stations and voter lists.

The session was informed that the electoral body was prepared to hold elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The meeting decided to contact governors of the two provinces to fix the polling date for election in Punjab and KP. The ECP decided to issue the election schedule after a decision on the polling day.

The meeting was directed to step up preparations for elections and early completion of the process of appointment of presiding officers and other election staff.

The session was attended by the election commission’s members, provincial election commissioners and officials from all wings of the ECP.

After dissolution of the KP and Punjab assemblies, the government and opposition in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa appointed former bureaucrat Azam Khan as caretaker chief minister. However, in Punjab, the parliamentary panel comprising opposition and government members failed to reach a consensus on the caretaker chief minister.

As per the procedure, the matter was decided by the ECP, which named Syed Mohsin Raza Naqvi as the caretaker chief minister of Punjab to lead the interim setup in the province.