Karachi, The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), following the Supreme Court’s directive, has released the schedule for the general elections set to be held on February 8, 2024. The announcement comes in the wake of a Supreme Court order, which addressed legal challenges concerning the appointment of election officials.

According to Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, the ECP outlined the key dates in the election process. Nomination papers are to be filed from the 20th to the 22nd of this month, with the publication of nominated candidates’ names scheduled for the 23rd. The scrutiny of nomination papers will take place from the 24th to the 30th.

The deadline for filing appeals against the rejection or acceptance of nomination papers is set for the 3rd of the following month. These appeals will be resolved by Appellate Tribunals by the 10th. The ECP will then publish a revised list of candidates on the 11th, allowing for withdrawals until the 12th. Election symbols are to be allotted to political parties on the 13th.

This election schedule issuance follows a significant judicial intervention by the Supreme Court, which included a three-member bench led by Chief Justice Qazi Faiz Isa. The bench overruled a Lahore High Court decision that had objected to the appointment of returning officers and district returning officers from the bureaucracy, a verdict previously challenged by the ECP.

This development marks a crucial step in Pakistan’s electoral process, ensuring that the general elections are conducted in accordance with legal and constitutional mandates.