Election Schedule can delay Election 2024 in Pakistan
The next 48 hours are very important regarding the release of the election schedule.
The Election Commission of Pakistan has to release the election schedule in the next 48 hours. If the schedule cannot be released during this time, there is a strong possibility that the election will be delayed.
After the new amendment in the rules of the Election Commission, it is mandatory to appoint District Returning Officers and ROs sixty days before the polling day, which has been delayed due to the new situation.
It is now likely that the Election Commission will write to the judiciary for the appointment of DROs and ROs. It is then up to the Judiciary to provide the DROs and ROs to the Election Commission or not. This process may also be delayed.
The Election Commission requires 142 district returning officers, including 40 from Punjab, 36 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 36 from Balochistan and 30 from Sindh.
While 441 returning officers will be required for Punjab, 160 returning officers for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 191 returning officers for Sindh and 67 returning officers for Balochistan.
This makes the total number of returning officers 859.
The training of these DROs and ROs was supposed to start from Friday (today) which has now been delayed after the court order. Now the ball is in the judicial court.