ECP adds time box to Form-45.

ISLAMABAD -- The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has introduced a major change in Form-45 for receiving results from the polling stations for the next general polls by adding a time box to the document along with the date.

After the amendment to the form, the presiding officers at the polling stations will also record the time of the results. The commission has invited suggestions in connection with the changes in Form-45. It added that suggestions or objections related to the changes in Form-45 could be filed till Oct 20.

The ECP continued that if no objections were filed by Oct 20, the changes in the form would be made part of the rules.

'In exercise of its powers conferred by Section 239 of the Elections Act, 2017 (Act No XXXIII of 2017), the Election Commission is pleased to make the following amendment in Form-45 namely: the end of Form-45, after the word Date............. the word time shall be inserted,' a notification issued by the ECP read.

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In another notification, the ECP wrote that the Elections Act, 2017 was promulgated on Oct 2, 2017 and its Section 239 empowered the commission to make rules for carrying the purposes of the law.

'[The] aforesaid Section 239 is reproduced as under: Power to make rules (1) The commission may, by notification in the official gazette and publication on the website of the commission, make rules for carrying out the purposes of this Act. (2) The commission shall make the rules under sub-section (1) subject to prior publication and after hearing and deciding objections or suggestions filed within 15 days of the publication,' it added.

'The Election Commission framed the Election Rules, 2017 in pursuance of Section 239 ibid and notified the same on Nov 9, 2021 and thereafter, in view of different scenarios and to resolve...