PHOTO: INP
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has asked Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa-based political groupings to share names of their candidates in order to fill the reserved seats for women in the tehsil/town council, as well as the district council of the province.
The poll supervisory body has issued a notification in this regard under Article 219(d) of the Constitution, sub-section (1) of Section 75 of the K-P Local Government Act, 2013 read with sub-rule (10A) of rule 42 of the K-P Local Councils (Conduct of Elections) Rules 2014 and all other powers in this behalf.
“The ECP hereby notifies the schedule to fill the reserved seats in tehsil/town council and district council of the province of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa which remained vacant due to non-filing of nomination papers by the candidates of the respective political parties or exhaustion of the priority lists of candidates of these political parties who secured more seats than the priority lists of candidates earlier provided to returning officers,” said the ECP notification.
The K-P government has held direct polls on all seats, except those reserved for women.
The reserved seats would provide an opportunity to the women to play their role in local government. In May, political parties had given tacit approval to a decision under which women were not allowed to vote in Lower Dir during a by-election.
According to the schedule announced by the poll body, the date for filing of nomination papers with the returning officers (ROs) has been fixed as July 24, last date for filing of appeals against decisions of ROs accepting/rejecting the nomination papers is July 28, last date for withdrawal of candidates is 31 July and revised list of candidates would be published on August 1.
The notification further said that the authorised persons of those political parties whose priority list of candidates is exhausted shall submit additional names of candidates under rule 42(10A) on or before the filing of nomination papers by the candidates on July 22 or in case none of the candidates of such political parties has submitted nomination papers earlier but political party has secured number of general seats in district and tehsil/town council, they shall also submit nomination papers to concerned ROs in the district and tehsil council to fill those vacant reserved seats.
According to election results, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf secured more seats than any other party in the province. The party has been given the opportunity, in particular, to submit the list of candidates for reserved seats especially women.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 18th, 2015.
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