Registration of electoral groups for LG polls remains low

ECP registers total of 24 electoral panels in Rawalpindi division

RAWALPINDI:

The process of registration of electoral groups and panels for the upcoming local government elections in Punjab including the Rawalpindi division has been completed.

The registration of electoral groups in the Rawalpindi division remained very low with a total of only 24 electoral groups being registered in the four districts of the Rawalpindi division. Citizens and independent candidates running for the local government elections took no interest in the electoral group registration.

Earlier, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) Rawalpindi chapter had issued the schedule for registration of electoral groups and panels requesting independents, who wanted to contest the local government elections, to form their electoral groups and panels as no independent candidate would be allowed to contest the election.

According to the ECP, after the completion of the registration on March 28, scrutiny of the applications will be held on April 1 while the ECP will issue certificates to groups and panels on April 6.

According to ECP sources, only 13 constituencies were registered in Rawalpindi district, two constituencies in Chakwal district, two constituencies in Attock district and seven constituencies in Jhelum district.

Groups and panels were registered in 16 village councils and eight neighbourhood councils across the Rawalpindi division.

Not a single group could be registered for the district council and the Rawalpindi Municipal Corporation in all the four districts of the division.

Group registration was done in four village councils of Kahuta Tehsil, two village councils in Rawalpindi Tehsil and seven neighbourhood councils.

Similarly, group registration was done in two village councils of Sohawa Tehsil of Jhelum district, one village council of Dina, three village councils of Pind Dadan Khan and one neighbourhood council of Jhelum.

One electoral group was registered in Hazro Tehsil of Attock district and one village council of Fateh Jang Tehsil while two village councils of Choi Sayedan Tehsil of Chakwal district were registered.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, April 1^st, 2022.