LHC nullifies ECP notification over appointing polling agents
Pakistan
LHC nullifies ECP notification over appointing polling agents
LAHORE (Dunya News) – The Lahore High Court on Saturday suspended the notification of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) which stated that the polling agents should belong to the same voter constituency for the upcoming Punjab by-elections scheduled to take place on July 17.
It is pertinent to mention that the PTI leader Yasmeen Rashid had challenged the ECP notification.
The LHC heard a petition against the Election Commission’s decision to appoint polling agents from the respective constituencies in the by-elections of Punjab.
During the hearing, Justice Shahid Jameel said that the polling agents have some responsibilities they can identify the voter.
The PTI lawyer said that the polling agents can be appointed from anywhere, adding that the polling agents don’t need to belong to the respective constituency.
The court inquired that before the recent notification, the Election Commission had made any notification regarding the polling agents?
The lawyer contended that ECP had never done it before today.
On which the court remarked that “how such an order can be issued verbally.”
“The Election Commission should conduct the election clearly and transparently and the court is suspending the Election Commission’s notification to appoint polling agents from the respective constituencies and it was suspended only for by-elections,” the court remarked.
“After the by-elections, the Election Commission Rules can be amended to order the appointment of polling agents from the respective constituencies.”
