ISLAMABAD: Election Commission of Pakistan finds itself in a highly complicated situation. On one side the printing of ballot papers has been started with election symbols on them and on other side the symbols are being changed on the requests of the candidates.
The ECP has noted this in a press statement on 16 Jan 2024. The statement says that after the allotment of the election symbols, the election symbols are being changed from various forums.
It should be noted that after the allotment of the election symbols, the Election Commission has ordered the printing of ballot papers to the three printing corporations and the printing work has started.
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If the process of changing election symbols continues in this way, then on the one hand, there is a fear of delay in the election because the ballot paper will have to be reprinted, for which time is already limited, and on the other hand, the special paper ballot papers will have to be reprinted. provided for, that too will be wasted.
In the 2018 elections, 800 tons of paper was used for printing the ballot paper, while this time, it is estimated that 2070 tons of paper will be used in the 2024 elections.
Similarly, 11,700 candidates participated in the 2018 elections, while this time 18,059 candidates are in the field. In 2018, 220 million ballot papers were hidden, while this time 260 million ballot papers are being hidden.
The Commission is meeting on how to deal with this situation and how to implement the repeated directives issued by the Commission not to change election symbols.
The proposal is also being considered that if this process of changing election symbols does not stop, there will be no other option but to postpone the elections in such constituencies.
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