ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has released directives for potential candidates seeking to file nomination papers for the upcoming general elections, scheduled for February 8.
These guidelines were issued a day before the commencement of the nomination paper submission process for both national and provincial assembly seats by the commission.
Nomination papers can be submitted from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm until December 22.
As per the outlined instructions, a candidate must be supported by two voters from the same constituency who will propose and second the nomination.
However, an individual is limited to being a proposer or seconder for just one candidate.
While there’s no prohibition on a candidate contesting from multiple constituencies, a person can be nominated within the same constituency through a maximum of five nomination papers.
It’s a common practice for candidates to submit multiple nomination papers within the same constituency as a precaution in case one gets invalidated.
In line with these guidelines, each nomination submitted by a candidate must be on a distinct form, duly signed by both the proposer and the seconder.
Nomination papers won’t be accepted by the returning officer from candidates unless accompanied by a fee of Rs30,000 for the National Assembly and Rs20,000 for the provincial assembly.
This fee can be paid by the candidate or by a representative, either in cash to the returning officer, through a bank draft made out to the RO, or deposited in the specified National Bank of Pakistan account, with the receipt attached to the papers.
Additionally, required accompanying documents include the candidates’ three-year income tax returns, bank transaction records up to December 8, and copies of their passport.
For eligibility, a candidate must be at least 25 years old by the nomination papers’ last submission date, i.e., December 22.
Candidates filing for a National Assembly seat can be registered voters anywhere in the country, while those aspiring for a provincial assembly seat must have their vote registered within the respective province.
A candidate aiming for reserved seats for women in the National Assembly must be listed as a voter in the concerned province.
(Islamabad51_Newsdesk)
