ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan instructed on Monday his party's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chapter's leadership to launch "full-scale" preparations for the upcoming local government elections in the province, scheduled next month, directing the relevant office-bearers to start short-listing candidates for the LG polls.
He issued these instructions while presiding over Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's (PTI's) Core Committee meeting in his capacity as the party's Chairman, it was learnt.
The ruling party is setting up boards/committees at the village, tehsil and district level for the award of tickets for the LG polls in the light of PM's instructions. The process of finalising nominations for the LG polls would be completed in the ongoing week in order to file nominations in the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), it was further learnt.
The PM directed that the local party leaderships in the 17 districts where elections are taking place to report to the provincial leadership that would work in liaison with central PTI leaders, a PTI lawmaker told Business Recorder.
The conduct of PTI Core Committee meeting coincided with the opening of nominations for LG elections (November 1) by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).
On October 25, ECP issued schedule for first phase of LG elections of village/neighbourhood and tehsil/city councils in 17 out of total 35 districts of KP where LG elections would be held on the coming December 19.
The second phase of LG elections of village/neighbourhood and tehsil/city councils would be held in the remaining 18 districts of KP on the coming January 16, the schedule for which is yet to be announced.
According to the schedule: Public notice inviting nominations for LG elections issued on November 1; dates for filing of nominations: November 4-8; publication of names of nominated candidates: November 9; scrutiny of nominations: November 10-12; filing of appeals against acceptance/rejection of nominations: November 13-16; date for deciding of appeals by the appellate tribunals: November 19; publication of revised list of candidates: November 20; last date for withdrawal of candidature and final list of candidates: November 22; allotment of electoral symbols to candidates: November 23; and polling day: December 19.
The 17 districts where LG elections are scheduled on December 19 are: Peshawar, Buner, Bajaur, Mardan, Swabi, Nowshera, Kohat, Karak, Dera Ismail Khan, Bannu, Tank, Haripur, Khyber, Mohmand, Charsadda, Hangu and Lakki Marwat.
The remaining 18 districts where LG elections are scheduled on January 16 are: Swat, Upper Dir, Lower Dir, Upper Chitral, Lower Chitral, Shangla, Malakand, Kurram, Orakzai, Abbottabad, Battagram, Kolai Pallas, Mansehra, Torghar, Upper Kohistan, Lower Kohistan, North Waziristan and South Waziristan.
Meanwhile, PM Khan was quoted in the media as telling the Core Committee that "dialogue with TLP (Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan) was the only option as I don't want bloodshed in the country."
Earlier on Sunday, the federal government announced to have reached an agreement with banned TLP to end 10-day standoff but did not share the details of the agreement, saying they would be unveiled at "an appropriate time."
The PM also informed the Core Committee that his government intends to launch soon a package to support the downtrodden segments of the society, which, Khan claimed, would benefit 10 million people directly, it is also learnt.
The Core Committee, according to reports, expressed concern over rising fuel prices and inflation, both internationally and domestically, and called for formulating an urgent strategy to deal with the situation.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2021
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