ISLAMABAD, Nov 6: The Election Commission finally announced on Wednesday the schedules for local government (LG) polls in Sindh and Punjab.

According to the schedules, apparently announced on judicial pressure, the elections in Sindh will be held on Nov 27 and in Punjab on Dec 7.

Talking to Dawn, an ECP official expressed apprehension that the exercise in haste would mean compromise on credibility and transparency but said: `It was an order passed by the apex court and therewas no option left for us but to comply with it.

The schedule has been announced before the provinces could complete some prerequisites, including delimitation and updating of local government laws and rules.

Briefing reporters after an emergency meeting of the ECP, presided over by acting Chief Election Commissioner Justice Tassadug Hussain Jillani, ECP Secretary Ishtiak Ahmad Khan said the chief secretaries of the two provinces had been asked to provide lists of district returning officers, district and assistant ROs aswell as appellate tribunals within 24 hours.

He said the provinces also had to notify the election rules and delimitation with a day and prepare the lists of polling stations in seven days.

The ECP official said the district coordination officers, acting as delimitation officers, would collaborate with the district election officers for handing over details to the National Database and Registration Authority for printing the voters` lists.

About the most challenging task of printing around 400 million ballot papers in the short time, he saidthe cabinet secretary and the managing director of the Printing Corporation of Pakistan (PCP) had been told that they were bound under Article 220 of the constitution to assist the commission. The printing of the ballot papers was now their responsibility, he said, adding that they had been asked to make suitable arrangements, including coordination with the presses owned by the provincial governments and the private sector.

He said the PCP would report back to the commission on Thursday morning.

The Pakistan Council ofScientific and Industrial Research (PCSIR) has been asked to provide magnetised inkpads in accordance with the specifications provided by Nadra. At least 2.2 million inkpads will be required.

The ECP secretary said the PCSIR had been asked to increase the life of inkpads to at least nine hours from six.

He said Nadra would carry out random tests of the batches of ink to ensure that it met the required specifications.

The ECP had been assured by the finance secretary that the funds needed for the elections would be released soon andFinance Minister Ishaq Dar would meet the acting CEC on Thursday.

According to the schedules, notices inviting nomination papers in both provinces will be issued on Nov 9. The papers will be received on Nov 11 and 12. The notice of the nomination papers received will be published and objections on them received on Nov 13. The scrutiny of the nomination papers will be carried out by Nov 18, followed by publication of the lists of valid candidates.

In Sindh, appeals against acceptance and rejection of nomination papers will be received on Nov 18 and 19 and disposed of on the following two days.

Nov 22 is the date for withdrawal of candidature and the lists of candidates, along with symbols allotted to them, will be published on Nov 23.

In Punjab, appeals against acceptance and rejection of nomination papers will be filed on Nov 19 and 20 and disposed of from Nov 21 to 23. Candidates may withdraw their papers on Nov 24 and the lists of the contestants and their symbols will be published on Nov 25.

A surprising aspect of the schedule was that the results will be announced three days after the polling.

A code of conduct was issued along with the schedules.