Islamabad: Despite repeated requests, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has not yet provided the nomination papers for approximately 46 percent of the candidates who won the 2024 General Elections.
According to Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN), a request was made in March 2024 to obtain copies of nomination papers for 1,081 candidates who were returned to the National and Provincial Assemblies. So far, only 483 complete nomination papers have been received, as per the procedures outlined in the Elections Act, 2017, and the Election Rules, 2017.
Nomination papers, filed under Form A with the Returning Officer as part of the Elections Act, contain vital information, including a candidate's basic profile, tax details, unresolved criminal cases, and declarations of assets and liabilities. Section 60(7) of the Elections Act, 2017, mandates that these papers be open to public inspection and that certified copies be provided upon payment of a prescribed fee.
FAFEN's formal request for access to these documents was made through a letter to the Secretary of the ECP on March 13, 2024. In response, the ECP instructed Provincial Election Commissioners (PECs) to facilitate the provision of these papers. While PECs in Sindh and Balochistan complied by asking FAFEN to deposit court fee stamps to obtain certified copies, PECs in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa redirected FAFEN to the Returning Officers for access.
To date, FAFEN has received 483 complete nomination papers, representing 45 percent of the total elected members. An additional 101 papers have been obtained without affidavits. However, the nomination papers for 497 returned members remain outstanding, including 137 Members of the National Assembly and several members from provincial assemblies across Pakistan.