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The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday announced it will issue a public notice, as well as the schedule, for the presidential elections on March 1, noting Article 41(4) of the Constitution requires the polling to take place within 30 days of general elections.
In a statement, the electoral body said articles 91 and 130 of the Constitution called for all assemblies to be summoned within 21 days of polling, adding this would be accomplished by Feb. 29, thereby completing the Electoral College for the presidential election. “As per law, one day will be designated for the submission of nomination papers [for the president],” it said, adding the proposed program called for all aspirants to submit their nominations by 12 p.m. on March 2 to any presiding officer.
“Therefore, all aspirants can secure their nomination papers from the Election Commission Secretariat, Islamabad or the provincial election commissioners of Punjab, Sindh, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan from today (Tuesday),” it said.
The official announcement follows the ECP approaching all provincial high courts on Feb. 23 to seek the appointment of chief justices as presiding officers as per past tradition.
While the KP, Punjab, Balochistan and Sindh assemblies have already convened, the National Assembly is due to convene on Thursday, Feb. 29, completing the Electoral College required to elect the president. The presidential elections are likely to take place no later than March 9, in line with the constitutional requirement to conduct the polling within 30 days of the Feb. 8 general elections.