Election Commission of Pakistan asks by-election contestants to end campaign at midnight

ISLAMABAD, Jul 15 (APP): The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has directed the candidates contesting the by elections on 20 Punjab Assembly seats to end their respective election campaigns until 12:00 am midnight.

According to ECP, all the parties and their candidates had been directed to end their political campaign and public meetings from the midnight falling between July 15 and 16, 2022. While no candidate or party leader would address gatherings or corner meetings or take out processions in their respective constituencies after the deadline.

The political parties and the candidates must follow the provision of law and exercise self restraint to enable polls could be held in peaceful manner of July 17, 2022. Legal action would be taken against those political leaders and parties which violate the rule.

By elections were being held in 20 constituencies of Punjab Assembly including PP-7 Rawalpindi; PP-83, Khushab; PP-90 Bhakkar; PP-97 Faisalabad; PP-125, Jhang; PP-127, Jhang; PP-140 Sheikhupura;PP-158,Lahore;PP-167, Lahore; PP-168, Lahore; PP-170 Lahore; PP-202 Sahiwal; PP-217 Multan; PP-224, Lodhran;PP-228, Lodhran; PP-237, Bahawalnagar; PP-272- Muzaffargarh;PP-273 Muzaffargarh;PP-282, Layyah and PP-288 Dera Ghazi Khan.

Meanwhile, all the necessary arrangements for holding by-elections in 20 provincial assembly constituencies, including printing of ballot papers had been completed.The ECP issued standard operating procedures (SOPs) for polling staff to conduct the by-polls on Punjab assembly constituencies scheduled for July 17.
The presiding officers (POs) have been directed to enable the location service feature of their smart phones. The PO should take a picture of form 45 and WhatsApp it to the RO in presence of polling agents.

The location feature should stay active even while taking the picture of Form 45, the ECP statement reads. Polling agents were to be present when the picture was being taken. In case of a network connection failure, the PO has been told to immediately reach the ROs’ office.

The POs have been instructed to submit the polling record, including Form 45, on time. The RO, meanwhile, was tasked with making all the forensic details part of the record.

ECP has made asked the candidates to ensure training of their polling agents and instruct them not to leave the polling station without receiving the presiding officer’s verified form 45. Every presiding officer was bound to provide signed copy of form 45 to relevant polling agent in the polling station.