Chief Election Commissioner Sikander Sultan Raja has said that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) will conduct a pilot test of the electronic voting machine (EVM) in upcoming local bodies elections scheduled to be held in Islamabad and Sindh and in upcoming by-elections, reported 24NewsHD TV channel on Wednesday. 

During an informal talk with journalists, he said that ECP is fully prepared to conduct general elections. He clarified that he had not used any reference for his appointment as chief election commissioner, adding that he came to know about his appointment through news channels.

Sikander Sultan Raja said that he is thankful to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government for considering him able to be appointed as the chief election commissioner. He said that his track record was in front of everyone at the time of the appointment.

He said that he is a big supporter of the EVM. He said it was his wish to initiate the use of EVM in polls as soon as possible. He said ECP has been transformed into a vital organization. 

CEC announces schedule of LG polls in Islamabad, Sindh

LG polls to be held in Islamabad on Dec 31; polling in Karachi, Hyderabad Division to be conducted on Jan 15

Chief Election Commissioner Sikander Sultan has announced that the schedule of local government elections in Islamabad, Karachi and Hyderabad Division has been released.

As per the schedule issued by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), local government elections will be held in Islamabad on December 31; whereas, polling in Karachi and Hyderabad Division will be conducted on January 15, 2023. The local government elections in Karachi and Hyderabad Division have been delayed as the worst flood hit the province.

While addressing a ceremony in Islamabad, he stressed on the importance of local government elections. He said that working on the constituencies of Punjab is not an easy task, it easily takes three to four months. He also said that ECP is taking steps to ensure transparency in polls.