After the Supreme Court’s recent verdict cemented the conduct of elections on February 8 next year, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) resumed training returning officers (ROs) and district returning officers (DROs) with just less than two months left for the polls to take place.
Following much deliberation over measures to avoid delay in holding sought-after general elections in February 2024, the apex court on Friday evening suspended the Lahore High Court’s poll-related order, paving way for the elections to take place on the announced date, a major demand of political stakeholders and the ECP.
A three-member bench took up the appeal filed by the electoral watchdog on the LHC order halting the training of district returning officers (DROs) and returning officers (ROs).
The LHC’s decision, which came on a plea filed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawyer Umair Niazi, suspended ECP’s decision to appoint the ROs and DROs from the executive branch.
According to the electoral body, the training has kick-started across the country and will be completed on December 19.
At least 859 ROs and 144 DROs are currently being trained by senior ECP officers, the electoral authority said.
In this regard, a ban has also been imposed by the DRO Islamabad on the holidays of officers and officials of government institutions in Islamabad on ECP’s instructions.
“Education department officers and employees will not leave Islamabad,” DRO Islamabad said. The DRO has also asked the Federal Directorate of Education officials to stay in Islamabad following ECP’s directions.
