LAHORE: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) will start accepting nomination papers for the general elections 2018 from today after the Supreme Court overruled the Lahore High Court’s (LHC) order for amendments to the document.
LHC, on Friday, had ruled that the nomination forms of the electoral candidates did not seek necessary information and declarations such as details on educational background, criminal record, and dual citizenship. The court ordered ECP to again add the requirements of Articles 62 and 63 of the Constitution to the nomination papers.
The Supreme Court, however, on Sunday suspended the LHC’s verdict that nullified nomination forms of electoral candidates for the upcoming general elections.
ECP will continue to receive the nomination papers till June 8.
Speaker of National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq and ECP had filed petitions earlier in the day challenging the LHC’s ruling.
During the court proceedings on Sunday, the petitioners’ counsel had stated that LHC’s decision on nomination forms would delay elections, adding that they took the matter to Supreme Court as they did not want elections to be postponed.
The counsel added that the elections are feared to be delayed as the filing of nomination papers has been put on hold following LHC’s ruling. Earlier, the nomination papers were to be filed between June 2 and 6.
However, Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar had remarked that elections would be conducted as per the schedule – on July 25.
According to ECP, the initial list of candidates will be released on June 8, while dates for other developments regarding elections would remain unchanged.
