Pakistan regulator extends time for election candidates to withdraw nominations

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s election oversight body has extended the time for candidates to withdraw their nominations for the upcoming national elections, scheduled for Feb. 8, it said on Friday, the last day to take back the documents.
The Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) deadline to file nominations expired on Dec. 24, with 28,626 candidates submitting their nominations for national and provincial assembly elections.
It was followed by the process of scrutiny of nominations till Dec. 30. The process of receiving appeals from the candidates continued till Jan. 3, which were finalized by Jan. 10.
The ECP had set 5pm on Jan. 12 as the deadline for candidates to withdraw their nominations, however, it extended the time period by a few hours.
“To facilitate political parties and candidates, the election commission has extended the time for withdrawal of nomination papers,” the ECP said in a statement.
“Now, the candidates can withdraw their nominations till 9pm tonight.”
Elections in Pakistan were originally expected to take place in November after the country’s national and two provincial assemblies were dissolved in August before their tenure expired.
However, the ECP decided to redraw hundreds of national and provincial constituencies, based on a digital census carried out in April, before arranging the electoral contest.
The South Asian country is finally headed to polls in Feb. that analysts say would bring some stability and put Pakistan back on path to the much-needed economic recovery.