RAWALPINDI: After de-seating the mayor and 17 reserved seat members of the Rawalpindi Municipal Corporation (RMC), the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Thursday fixed May 18 for polling on the reserved seats.

The 17 reserved seats included 10 for women, two each for minorities, technocrat, labour and a youth. The seats fell vacant on Wednesday after the ECP announced its verdict on a petition filed by Lubna Iqbal and Tahira Tanveer. The petitioners said elections on the reserved seats were rigged by the PML-N city president Sardar Naseem, who was the mayor.

According to the ECP notification, nomination papers will be collected from candidates from May 3 and objections will be submitted on May 6. May 13 has been fixed for the withdrawal of candidature and allotment of election symbols. The names of the returned candidates would be announced on May 26 who will take oath on May 29.

A senior official of the ECP told Dawn that the schedule for the election of the mayor would be announced after the returned candidates took oath. He said returning officers would be appointed on April 29.

When contacted, RMC Chief Municipal Of ficer Khalid Goraya said he had not received any notification in this regard. He said the administration was working smoothly and the ECP orders would be implemented.

He said the RMC members had not submitted any application to call the session of the house. A Reporter