KP's 17 districts: ECP to hold LG polls for village/ neighbourhood councils on party basis

ISLAMABAD: Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Thursday decided to hold local government elections for village/neighbourhood councils in 17 districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on party basis as ordered by Peshawar High Court (PHC), earlier on Tuesday.

In this context, a meeting of ECP decided to receive LG elections nominations for village/neighbourhood councils, from Thursday onwards, on party basis.

The ECP decided to seek from those candidates, who are contesting village/neighbourhood councils LG elections from the platforms of political parties, to submit the relevant details of their political parties with their nominations.

Entertaining the petitions of different leaders from opposition parties, the PHC on Tuesday, directed the KP government and ECP to hold LG village/neighbourhood councils polls on party basis.

"The provincial government and the Election Commission are directed to issue instructions to returning officers to accept the nomination papers from candidates for village and neighbourhood councils on party basis with effect from November 4 as per schedule announced by the ECP on October 25," said short order issued by PHC.

On October 25, the 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.

With PHC order to hold LG elections in KP on party basis applicable on village/neighbourhood councils only, the status of tehsil/city councils would remain unchanged.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021