ISLAMABAD: The process of submitting nomination papers to participate in the general elections 2024 has started by Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) from today (Wednesday).
As per ECP schedule, candidates could get and submit the nomination papers till 4:30 pm December 22.
The preliminary list of candidates will be released on December 23 while scrutiny of nomination papers will be held from 24th to 30th December.
As per the schedule, electoral symbols will be allotted to the candidates on January 13 and polling for the general elections will be held on February 8.
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) Tuesday issued guidelines for candidates to submit nomination papers.
The ECP said that nomination papers can be submitted from December 20 to 22.
The fee for obtaining the nomination papers is fixed at Rs.100.
A candidate can submit a maximum of five nomination papers with different endorsers.
The fee for the candidate of the National Assembly seat is Rs30,000 (non-refundable) while the fee for the candidate of the Provincial Assembly seat is Rs20,000 (non-refundable).
The candidate shall attach the income tax return documents of the last three years with the nomination papers.
The basic qualification for the candidate is to be a citizen of Pakistan and not less than 25 years of age.
As per ECP, contestants for National Assembly seats must be voters of any place in Pakistan.
Meanwhile, the ECP will release the preliminary list of candidates on December 23, while the scrutiny of nomination papers will be held from December 24 to 30.
The electoral authority will allot election symbols to parties and independent candidates on January 13, a little less than a month in the lead-up to the polls on February 8.
In Karachi, the nomination papers will be filed for 22 National Assembly seats and 47 provincial assembly seats, while 69 returning officers (ROs) and seven district returning officers (DROs) have been posted for the national and provincial assemblies.
The ECP earlier said prospective candidates for reserved seats for women and minorities in the provincial legislatures and the National Assembly can get their nomination papers from their respective ROs and the district election commission at a cost.
However, nomination papers will have to be submitted to their respective ROs from December 20 to December 22. And all matters, including scrutiny, will also be conducted there.
The process of collecting nomination papers begins after the oathtaking of district returning officers (DROs) and returning officers (ROs) by the electoral body as per the Elections Act 2017.
At least 859 returning ROs already completed their three-day training on Monday, while 144 DROs were trained on Tuesday. The ROs had already received a one-day training before a Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) office-bearer and lawyer moved the Lahore High Court, leading to the suspension of the notification of their appointment. Their training, consequently, was suspended on December 14.
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