Candidates’ appearance not minatory for scrutiny: Dilshad
By Asghar Ali Mubarak

ISLAMABAD—Secretary Election Commission Kanwar Muhammad Dilshad Tuesday said that nomination papers of candidates not appearing before the Returning Officers during scrutiny cannot be rejected.
"The candidate may attend the process of scrutiny of nomination papers in his own interest but in case he or she prefers to remain absent the nomination paper cannot be rejected due to failure to appear before the Returning Officer concerned on the date of scrutiny," he said.
He said that queries were being made as to whether appearance of candidates before the Returning Officer concerned at the time of scrutiny was compulsory; and at what time the symbols for the general seats as well as seats reserved for women and non-Muslims would be allocated.
The Secretary Election Commission invited attention of the political parties as well as the candidates to the provisions of the Representation of the People Act 1976 and the Allocation of Symbols Order, 2002 and clarified that Section 14 (1) of the Representation of the People Act, 1976 provides that at the time of scrutiny, the candidates need not to file the certificates from their political parties showing their party affiliations.
However, he clarified that candidates are required to provide party certificates to the Returning Officers concerned at the time of allocation of symbols on the date of withdrawal i.e. December 15 before the Returning Officers.
About reserved seats for Women and non-Muslims he said that the partys' certificates were not required to be produced by the candidates as the partys' lists were already available with the concerned Returning Officers and no symbol was required to be allotted to any of such candidate contesting these Elections.
Kanwar Dilshad further clarified that the candidates who have filed nomination papers for the seats reserved for Women and non-Muslims and whose names do not appear in the priority list provided by the political parties need not to appear before the Returning Officers concerned for scrutiny of nomination papers because their nomination papers will be rejected for want of their names in the priority lists.
According to the code of conduct Processions/rallies may be banned. Only gatherings may be allowed at specified places. All provincial Governments and District Administration should notify such places.
Organisers must get NOC from respective provincial Governments so that security arrangements may be tied up to avoid any untoward incident. Overall responsibility/Command of Security rest with Administration/LEAs and not with private Security of political Parties. Pre-Event engagement by Provincial Governments/District Administration with all stake holders should be ensured and an agreed code of conduct worked out.