By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan announced on Friday that it had extended the deadline for candidates to file nomination papers for the general elections scheduled for Feb. 8 by two days, after several political parties requested more time.
The commission said in a statement that candidates could now submit their papers until Sunday, Dec. 24, but emphasised that the extension would not affect the polling date or the rest of the election timetable.
“Political parties must submit priority lists for specific seats to returning officers within the stipulated time,” the statement said.
The commission issued the election schedule last week, ending months of speculation over the timing of the polls, which are expected to be a close contest between the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, led by the former cricket star Imran Khan.
According to the original schedule, the process of filing nomination papers for national and provincial assembly seats began on Tuesday, Dec. 20, and was supposed to end at 4:30 p.m. on Friday.
The commission said it decided to grant the extension to facilitate the candidacy process and to accommodate the requests of various political parties, including the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl, and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan.
Ishaq Dar, the chairman of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s election cell and a former finance minister, had written a letter to the commission on Thursday, seeking a two-day extension in the deadline.
Dar had argued that only three days were allocated for filing nomination papers, while seven days were given for their scrutiny.
“The commission enjoys the power to make necessary amendments in the [election] schedule without affecting/changing the polling date,” Mr. Dar had said in the letter, which he also posted on a social media platform X.
The commission said it had uploaded the amended schedule on its website and urged all candidates and parties to follow it.
The extension came as hundreds of candidates, both from political parties and independents, submitted their nomination papers on Thursday, the second day of the process.
The commission said it would publish the final list of candidates on Jan. 5, after completing the scrutiny of their papers and resolving any objections or appeals.
The elections are seen as a crucial test for Pakistan’s democracy, which has been marred by military coups, political instability, and security challenges.
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