ECP writes to Punjab govt to remove EVM requirement for LG polls

Lahore (HRNW) The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has asked the Punjab government to amend its election laws and to remove the requirement for using electronic voting machines in the upcoming local government elections.

The move has been endorsed by the provincial local government department and will likely add pressure on the provincial government to make the amendment.

In this regard, the ECP wrote to the Punjab chief secretary and the Punjab Local Government and Community Development Department secretary from October 26, 2022, came to light on Thursday.

In the letter, the ECP referred to conducting local government elections in the province following a hearing on the matter in the commission.

The commission directed the Punjab government to provide it with demarcation notification of local areas in each district, the number of union councils to be demarcated, notified delimitation rules, authenticated maps of urban areas as per the demarcation and including census block and circles.

Further, the ECP demanded separate authenticated maps of rural areas showing district and tehsil boundaries and notification regarding the number of seats of councillors in metropolitan corporations and district councils.