LHC allows parties to bring polling agents from outside constituency

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) Saturday nullified the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) notification which stated that the polling agents should belong to the same voter constituency for the upcoming Punjab by-elections scheduled to take place on July 17.

The PTI filed a petition at the ECP to appoint polling agents from outside the constituencies.

However, the commission mentioned appointing the agent from outside the constituency would create hurdles in the identification process.

LHC’s Justice Shahid Jameel suspended the commission’s notification on PTI leader Dr Yasmin Rashid’s request till July 17.

The court stated that the ECP can amend the rules and ask polling agents to be appointed from the respective constituencies after the by-elections.

During the hearing, the commission’s lawyer said that bringing the polling agents from outside of the constituencies might evoke violence and disrupt the election process. To this, the judge remarked that “aliens” will not come from outside. Meanwhile, Justice Jameel said that the commission should carry out transparent elections.