PRIORITY LISTS OF CANDIDTES FOR SEATS RESERVED FOR WOMEN AND NON-MUSLIMS IN THE NATIONAL/PROVINCIAL ASSEMBLIES SUBMITTED BY 26-11-2007 HAVE ATTAINED FINALITY
…… Kanwar Muhammad Dilshad
Secretary Election Commission of Pakistan
Islamabad, the 4th March, 2008.- Kanwar Muhammad Dilshad, Secretary Election Commission of Pakistan has said that the Programme for holding Elections to the National Assembly constituencies and Provincial Assemblies constituencies was issued by the Election Commission of Pakistan on 20-11-2007 according to which the Political Parties filed their separate Lists of their candidates in order of priority for Seats Reserved for Women and Non-Muslims within the period fixed by the Election Commission for submission of nomination papers from 21-11-2007 to 26-11-2007.
2. In this regard, Kanwar Muhammad Dilshad has drawn attention of the Political Parties to Proviso to Rule 4 (4) of the National Assembly and Provincial Assemblies Allocation of Reserved Seats for Women and Non-Muslims (Procedure) Rules, 2002, which lays down that the List submitted by a Political Party shall not be subject to change or alteration either in the order of priority or through addition or subtraction of new names after expiry of the date of submission of nomination papers.
3. Kanwar Muhammad Dilshad further said that, as provided under Article 224(6) of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, 1973, when a seat reserved for Women or non-Muslims in the National Assembly or a Provincial
Assembly falls vacant, for death, resignation or disqualification of a member, it shall be filled by the next person in order of precedence from the party list of the candidates submitted to the Election Commission for the last general election by the political party whose member has vacated such seat.
4. The Secretary, Election Commission clarified that the Priority Lists as were submitted by the Political Parties upto the stipulated period i.e. 26-11-2007 have attained finality and as such, the requests to revise those Priority Lists cannot be entertained for the reason that law does not provide for addition or subtraction of new names after expiry of statutory period in the Priority Lists once submitted by a Political Party in contemplation of Article 8F of the Conduct of General Elections Order, 2002 and Section 47A of the Representation of the People Act, 1976 as also under Proviso to Rule 4 (4) of the National Assembly and Provincial Assemblies Allocation of Reserved Seats for Women and Non-Muslims (Procedure) Rules, 2002