Senate polls: ECP to scrutinise candidates’ credentials virtually

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has decided to scrutinise the credentials of the candidates for upcoming Senate elections through an online process.
The documents submitted by the candidates would be verified by the interior ministry, NADRA, Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), and National Accountability Bureau (NAB). The financial documents would also be verified by the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and State Bank of Pakistan (SBP).
The ECP has already sent letters to the heads of these organizations to devise a mechanism for an online scrutiny process.
“Every institution will appoint a focal person immediately and apprise the ECP,” said a spokesman of the election commission. “The returning officers will be equipped with modern online facilities,” he said.
The Election Commission Secretariat was also equipped with digital facilitation centres while similar centres are being established at the provincial offices of the ECP. “The returning officers will be provided with the information of the Senate candidates from these institutions,” the spokesman said.
It is pertinent to be mention here that the ECP has notified the appointment of returning officers and polling Officers for the Senate election on Tuesday. The electoral body has issued a notification for the appointment of the electoral staff for the upcoming election of the upper house.
The Election Commission has appointed special secretary Zafar Iqbal as returning officer and Shamshad Khan, Shahid Iqbal, Asif Ali Yaseen, Waqas Ahmed, Atif Rahim, Kashif Abbas and Tabassum Javed as polling officers for Islamabad.
The Election Commission has also named provincial election commissioner Ijaz Anwar Chauhan as returning officer for the Senate election in Sindh. The ECP has also nominated provincial election commissioner Ghulam Israr Khan as returning officer for the Senate election in Punjab.
The electoral body has notified provincial election commissioner Sharifullah as returning officer for the Senate election in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. While provincial election commissioner Balochistan Muhammad Raziq has been named returning officer for Senate election in Balochistan.