ISLAMABAD / LAHORE: The extensive training for District Returning Officers (DROs) and Returning Officers (ROs) appointed for the 2024 general elections will begin on Wednesday.

As many as 859 returning officers (ROs) will receive a three-day election training at their res­­pective divisional levels from December 13 to 15.

An ECP spokesperson said that preparations have been completed for a one-day training session on Dec 16, 2023 in all four provincial headquarters.

The announcement for training of DROs and ROs came a day after their belated appointment in yet another violation of the law by the commission.

Under Section 53 of the Elections Act, the ECP is to make appointments of DROs and ROs at least 60 days prior to the issuance of election programme.

The law has a room for deviation in ‘exceptional circumstances’ for reasons to be recorded, in which case it can make appointments simultaneously with the issuance of the election programme.

LHC reserves verdict

In a related development, the Lahore High Court on Tuesday reserved verdict on the maintainability of a petition filed by PTI against appointment of bureaucrats to act as ROs for upcoming general elections.

Earlier, a lawyer for the ECP told the court that the judiciary had been requested to dispense services of its judicial officers for appointments as returning officers.

However, he said, the judiciary turned down the ECP request citing backlog of cases in district courts. He said the commission had no option but to appoint election officials from government departments.

He asked the court to dismiss the PTI petition as not maintainable.

Advocate Abuzar Salman Niazi representing PTI said that sections 50(1b) and 51(1) of the Elections Act, 2017, were repugnant to the Constitution and, therefore, the court could strike down the unconstitutional provisions.

He alleged that the caretaker government of Punjab, led by Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi, has influenced the bureaucracy against PTI, its leaders and workers.

He said the PTI was being denied its basic constitutional rights to function as a political party, while its rivals were being supported and patronised in stark violation of the mandate of the caretaker government.

He said the appointment of the election staff from among government officers defeats the entire purpose of creating an independent election commission. He urged the court to declare the appointment of government officers as returning officers and district returning officers unconstitutional.

He asked the court to order the ECP to initiate the process of consultation with the LHC chief justice for appointing judicial officers as returning officers for the Feb 8 general elections.

Published in Dawn, December 13th, 2023