ISLAMABAD, Oct 31: The Election Commission of Pakistan said on Thursday that local government elections in Punjab and Sindh had been deferred. But the commission announced the poll schedule for Balochistan.

At a meeting held for four days the ECP explored different options for getting over 500 million ballot papers printed and for procuring 4.4m magnetised inkpads. The Printing Corporation of Pakistan and Pakistan Council of Scientific and Industrial Research informed it that the task would take at least four months.

Sources said the meeting did not accept a proposal of using normal ink and paper and involving private parties in the printing of ballot papers.

Advocates general of Sindh and Punjab had informed the Supreme Court that they were prepared to hold elections on Nov 27 and Dec 7, respectively.

The chief secretaries of both provinces had also informed the court that delimitation would be completed by Nov 13 and Nov 4, respectively. But they are yet to complete the delimitation exercise without which the election schedule cannot be issued.

After the delimitation, the National Database and Registration Authority will have to revise the electoral rolls on the basis of the blocks defined in delimitation, which may also take months.

At a press briefing after the meeting, ECP secretary Ishtiak Ahmad Khan announced the schedule for local government elections in Balochistan and said that this was the beginning of the process which would be completed soon in other provinces and Islamabad.

He said directives for Sindh and Punjab had been issued and the poll schedule for the two provinces would be announced after they provided their rules and notifications about delimitation.

Mr Khan said Nadra had been asked to prepare electoral rolls and the Printing Corporation of Pakistan to complete arrangements for printing ballot papers.

He said a civil miscellaneous application would be filed in the Supreme Court in a few days for its guidance and instructions. The court will be informed about preparations by the provinces.

He said the LG elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Islamabad would be held after prerequisites were met.

He said the commission had had decided that the Printing Corporation of Pakistan would print all ballot papers and no private party would be involved in the sensitive work.

He said magnetised ink would be used in all stages of polling. Despite it cost of over Rs2 billion it would be done for the sake of transparency.

SCHEDULE: According to the poll schedule announced by the ECP for Balochistan, nomination papers will be received on Nov 7 and 8. Objections to nomination papers will be received till Nov 9. The scrutiny of papers will be held on Nov 10 and 11 and appeals against acceptance or rejection of nomination papers may be filed from Nov 12 to 16. The appeals will be disposed of on Nov 17 and 18. The date for withdrawing nomination papers will be Nov 19 and the final list of candidates will be published the same day.

The polling will take place on Dec 7.

CODE OF CONDUCT: Under a code of conduct issued by the ECP, all executive authorities in the federation and the provinces have been barred from using state resources in favour of a particular candidate or a political party. If any person in government service misuses his official position in any manner in order to influence results of elections, he will be liable to be proceeded against under Section 60 of the Balochistan Local Government Act, 2010.

No postings and transfers of civil servants will be permissible in the province without prior approval of the commission, till the publication of election results.

The prime minister, governor, chief minister, speaker, deputy speaker, federal and provincial ministers, advisers to the PM and CM and any other holder of public office will not visit the area of any local council to announce any development scheme or to canvass or campaign for any candidate or political party.

No deputy commissioner or district coordination officer will perform protocol duty for holders of these public offices till the conclusion of electoral process. Any holder of public office found to have violated any provision of election laws or instructions of the commission will be proceeded against as mandated in law.