The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has notified the appointment of 24 judges as appellate tribunals to dispose of appeals filed against the rejection or acceptance of nomination papers for the upcoming general elections. The appointments were made in accordance with the Elections Act, 2017.
The ECP issued a notification stating that the Appellate Tribunals will be responsible for handling appeals against the decisions of the Returning Officers regarding the rejection or acceptance of nomination papers for the National Assembly, all Provincial Assembly Constituencies, and seats reserved for women and non-Muslims.
The notification further mentioned that nine judges will act as tribunals in Punjab, followed by six in Sindh, five in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and two each in Balochistan and the federal capital.
The process of filing objections to the candidature of a candidate is governed by Section 62 of the Elections Act. Any voter of a constituency can file objections to the nomination papers of a candidate within the specified period.
Under Section 63 of the Act, a candidate or an objector can file an appeal against the decision of the Returning Officer rejecting or accepting a nomination paper to an Appellate Tribunal. The Tribunal consists of a judge of a High Court appointed by the Commission in consultation with the Chief Justice of the respective High Court.
The nominations for the general seats of the National Assembly total 266, with 60 seats reserved for women and 10 for non-Muslims. Each province has a different distribution of general and reserved seats. Balochistan has a total of 20 general seats, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has 45, Sindh has 75, Punjab has 141, and the federal capital has 3. The reserved seats for women and non-Muslims vary for each province.
The Election Commission’s appointments of judges for the appellate tribunals will ensure a fair and efficient process for handling appeals related to the rejection or acceptance of nomination papers. The tribunals will play a crucial role in upholding the integrity of the election process.
