A meeting of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) was held here on Tuesday with Chief Election Commissioner of Pakistan, former Justice Hamid Ali Mirza in the chair and attended by four members ECP including former Justice Muhammad Roshan Essani, former Justice Riaz Kayani, former Justice Shazad Akbar Khan and former Justice Fazal-ur-Rehman.
Ishtiak Ahmad Khan, Secretary Election Commission of Pakistan and other senior officers also attended the meeting. After due deliberation and discussion on different items of agenda, the ECP, inter alia, took the following decisions unanimously: Regarding pre-poll arrangements for the forthcoming general elections, the ECP decided to ensure timely procurement of election material being a gigantic and time taking exercise.
The matter regarding appointment of retired District & Sessions Judges as Election Tribunals was also unanimously approved so that election disputes could be resolved in specified period of 120 days through day-to-day hearing.
The documents submitted by the following 15 newly formed political parties were found to be in conformity with the provisions of the Political Parties Order, 2002 and directed to be retained on record in accordance with law, ie, Awami Ittehad Party, Pakistan Muslim League (Muttahida), People's Muslim League Pakistan, Mutahidda Qabail Party, Pakistan Conservative Party, All Pakistan Minorities Alliance, Pakistan Muslim League Council, Sada-e-Pakistan Party, Tehreek-i-Ittehad-e-Adam, All Pakistan Youth Working Party, Khud Mukhtar Pakistan Party, Pakistan United Inqalab Party, Pakistan Muslim League Democratic, Pakistan Muslim League (Safdar) and Wattan National League Pakistan. The requests of allotment of symbols from already recognised political parties were considered and the symbols mentioned against each party were allotted according to their preferences from the approved list of symbols.
Pakistan Fatima Jinnah Muslim League was allotted Stag, Jamiat Ullma-e-Pakistan (Noorani), Fan; Allah-o-Akbar Tehreek, Gun; Awami Justice Party, Tumbler; Mutahidda Muslim League, Bus; Sindh Dost Party, House; Ittehad Alam-e-Islam, Flower Pot; Awami Tehreek, Whistle; Bahawalpur National Awami Party, Bull Cart; Sindh Taraqi Passand Party, Television while Jannat Pakistan Party was allotted Fountain. On another request from Dr Muhammad Sarwar Ejaz Qadri, Ameer of Sunni Tehreek for change of the name of his party from Sunni Tehreek to Pakistan Sunni Tehreek was also approved. The issue of placement of Electoral Roll on ECP Official Website was deferred following concerns of Nadra authorities and the ECP directed that the matter might be discussed in the next meeting considering all aspects of the matter.-PR