ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Monday appointed district returning officers (DROs), returning officers (ROs) and assistant returning officers (AROs) for the coming general elections.

With a few exceptions, the respective district and session judges have been appointed as DROs.

In some districts, DROs have been drawn from the administration due to non-availability of judicial officers. Likewise, most of the ROs are from the subordinate judiciary.

In seven districts of Fata, the political agents have been appointed as DROs. In Shirani, Kohlu and Sikandarabad districts of Balochistan, administrative officers have been appointed as DROs. The Bannu division commissioner has been appointed as DRO for Frontier Region Peshawar, Bannu and Kohat.

In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 25 district and sessions judges have been appointed as DROs. Thirty-nine ROs have been appointed for the National Assembly seats, while 99 ROs have been appointed for provincial assembly seats from KP.

In Punjab, 36 district and sessions judges have been as DROs, while 141 additional district and sessions judges have been appointed as ROs for the National Assembly seats and senior civil judges and civil judges for 297 provincial assembly seats.

In Sindh, 27 district and sessions judges have been appointed as DROs, while 61 additional district and sessions judges or senior civil judges have been appointed as ROs and civil judges have been appointed as ROs for 130 provincial assembly seats.

In Balochistan, 34 DROs have been appointed, while 16 ROs have been drawn from the subordinate judiciary and 47 ROs are from the judiciary and four from the administration for 51 provincial assembly seats.

For three NA seats from Islamabad, district and sessions judge has been appointed as DRO, while three additional district and session judges have been appointed as returning officers.

Meanwhile, the commission has convened a meeting presided over by Chief Election Commissioner retired Justice Sardar Mohammad Raza and attended by four provincial chief secretaries, additional chief secretary, Fata and the chief commissioner, Islamabad, to discuss important matters concerning the general elections.

Published in Dawn, May 8th, 2018