Pakistan: ECP released revised program for Punjab elections, elections will be held on May 14

The Election Commission of Pakistan has announced the holding of assembly elections in the politically crucial Punjab province on May 14 as per the directions given by the Supreme Court a day earlier. Punjab released a revised schedule for the assembly elections, in line with the Supreme Court’s (SC) directions that the polls be held on May 14 instead of the earlier notified date of October 8. Elections to the Punjab Assembly were to be held in January this year. The ECP proposed that the elections be held between 30 April and 7 May and later President Arif Alvi accepted the recommendations of the commission by setting the date of the election as 30 April.

The date was officially notified by the Electoral Watch on 8 March, but was later postponed to 8 October in another notification issued by the ECP on 22 March. In the latest notification issued today, the commission said it is withdrawing its notification of March 22 and partially modifying the notification of March 8. Under the revised schedule, April 10 has been fixed as the last date for filing appeals against the decision of the Returning Officer to accept or reject nomination papers of candidates.