ECP decides to have its own offices in various districts

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has decided to have its offices constructed in the various districts across the country where the ECP has its own plots, and to acquire plots in the districts where the electoral body does not have real estate properties.

The decision was taken in a top-level meeting presided over by the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), Sikandar Sultan Raja, through a video link.

The provincial election commissioners attended the meeting.

The CEC directed the provincial election commissioners to prepare PC-I (Project Cycle-I), in coordination with the PWD (Public Works Department) in the districts where the ECP does not have its own plots, a press release issued by the commission said on Wednesday.

The CEC instructed the PWD officials to provide "all possible support" to the ECP for the construction of its offices, the statement said.

The meeting also decided to contact the provincial governments concerned for acquiring plots in the districts where the ECP does not have plots, the statement said.

The ECP has district offices in every district across the country headed by a district election commissioner.

In some districts, the ECP has office buildings built on its own plots.

In other districts, the ECP has plots but its offices are in rented buildings and in few districts the commission does not have any plot, an ECP source told Business Recorder.

The acquiring of plots and construction of buildings would help the commission get rid of rent and office-related disputes in various districts, the source added.

Meanwhile, the commission has sent its annual report to the federal and provincial governments for laying it in the parliament and the provincial assemblies, which is a mandatory requirement in the light of Section 16 of the Elections Act, 2017.

This Section 16 reads, "Commission to submit an annual report.-(1) The Commission shall, within ninety days after the end of every calendar year, publish a report of its activities for the year and send the report to the Federal Government and each Provincial Government. (2) The Federal Government and each Provincial Government shall, within sixty days from the receipt of the annual report from the Commission, lay the annual report in each House of Majlis-e-Shoora (Parliament) and each Provincial Assembly. (3) Immediately after the annual report is laid in any House of Majlis-e-Shoora (Parliament), the Commission shall publish the annual report on its website."