ECP to hold Nov 10 security meeting on Islamabad local polls
Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja has expressed satisfaction with preparations for Islamabad's local government elections. A meeting on November 10 will review the security plan.
- The CEC called a meeting on November 10 to review arrangements and the security plan.
- Polling in Islamabad is scheduled for December 20.
- Procurement of election material is complete and ballot printing arrangements are in place.
Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja has expressed satisfaction with preparations for the upcoming local government elections in Islamabad. He directed that a meeting be convened on November 10 to review arrangements and assess the security plan.
The Secretary Interior, the Chief Commissioner Islamabad and the Inspector General of Police Islamabad will attend the meeting. They will brief the Election Commission of Pakistan on security and other election matters.
An ECP spokesperson said in a statement on Monday that the CEC chaired a meeting to review preparations. The Secretary Election Commission and other senior officials briefed him on the electoral process, procedures for various seats, arrangements made so far and future steps.
The CEC was told that procurement of all election-related material has been completed and that arrangements for printing ballot papers are in place. The commission has also written to the Secretary Interior, the IGP Islamabad and the Deputy Commissioner Islamabad, requesting the necessary arrangements for smooth conduct of the polls. The ECP reiterated its readiness to ensure peaceful elections in the federal capital.
According to the schedule the commission issued on October 20, polling in the federal capital will take place on December 20. Associated Press of Pakistan reported that the process of filing nomination papers began on Monday, and that the schedule aims to complete the electoral process by December 24.
On Monday the ECP also rejected reports that nomination papers were not issued over the weekend. It said the offices of 16 Returning Officers stayed open from October 30 to November 1 and issued 1,847 nomination papers to prospective candidates.
Daily Pakistan reported that the last local government elections in the federal capital were held in 2015, and that the elected local government's term ended on February 14, 2021. Under the law, new elections were due within 120 days of a term ending. The outlet said the process had been stalled for more than five years because of repeated changes in law and administrative problems.
Why it matters
Residents of Islamabad will vote in the local government polls, the first in the federal capital since 2015, and the security plan affects them directly.
