ECP rejects three petitions filed by PTI ahead of Punjab by-election

• The election commission issues written verdict.
• Rejects all applications filed by PTI leader Omar Ayub.
• Pleas were related to polling agents, voters' list.

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) Friday rejected three petitions filed by PTI for the upcoming by-polls scheduled to be held on July 17 in the 20 constituencies of Punjab.

The PTI leader and former energy minister Omar Ayub had submitted three pleas.

• The first was to appoint polling agents from outside the constituencies.
• The second was regarding the voters' list.
• The third was related to transfers and development projects.

The election commission issued a written verdict on all the applications. “The purpose of appointing polling agents from the constituency is to identify voters,” the written verdict mentioned, adding that it is the right of the polling agent to object to voters’ identity and can also challenge it.

The commission mentioned that if the agent is appointed from outside the constituency, it would create hurdles in the identification process. It further directed all officials concerned and presiding officers to ensure that polling agents belong to the same voter constituency.

On Ayub’s second petition regarding discrepancies in the voters' lists, the ECP noted that the Director MIS has said that voters' lists were frozen after the announcement of the election schedule, therefore, the petitioner's plea was no longer justified.

The written verdict further mentioned that the voters' list issued before May 20 will be used for the election in the province.

Regarding the third plea, the ECP objected that the petitioner did not mention any specific developmental programme in his application, adding that if he had mentioned it, the commission would have taken a decision accordingly.

The election commission stated that it had already issued directions regarding transfer and postings and if the provincial government has issued any notification in this regard it would be immediately withdrawn.