ECP to discuss election code of conduct with political parties on Oct 4

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) announced Wednesday that a meeting with political parties will be scheduled on October 4 to discuss the code of conduct for general elections, Aaj News reported.

According to the electoral watchdog, general elections are expected to be held in January - months after the constitutionally mandated cut-off date of November 7.

According to a statement issued by the ECP, the meeting will be held at the its secretariat in Islamabad on October 4 at 2 p.m. in compliance with Section 233 of the Elections Act 2017.

“In this regard, a copy of the draft Code of Conduct has also been sent to the leaders of political parties so that they can provide their feedback during the consultation. A copy of the draft Code of Conduct is also available on the Election Commission’s website www.ecp.gov.pk,” the ECP statement said.

A fresh delineation of constituencies was announced earlier by the ECP, with a four-month completion period.

This development means that the general elections - supposed to be held within 90 days of the dissolution of the National Assembly - may not be held within the stipulated time frame.

According to the delimitation schedule, the electoral watchdog will release the final publication of the delimitation on December 14, 2023.

The delay in the general elections has met with criticism from some political parties, who have demanded that the elections be held as soon as possible.

However, the ECP has said that it is committed to conducting a fair and transparent delimitation process and will not compromise on the quality of the delimitation plan.