ISLAMABAD: Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday decided to notpublish additional ballot papers for general elections 2018.

In a statement, it was stated that 1300 papers will be given to the pollingstation having 1201 to 1299 voters. Only three official printing presseswill publish the ballot papers, it added.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), FATA and Islamabad will get papers being publishedfrom Printing Corporation, Balochistan, Sindh and South Punjab will contactNational Security Printing Press while papers from Postal Printing Presswill be dispatched to the constituencies in Punjab.

Approximately, more than 21 crore ballot papers will be published for theelections.

On the other hand, spokesman to ECP Chaudhry Nadeem Qasim said it isconstitutional obligation to hold general elections within 60 days aftercompletion of the term of the present government.

Earlier, ECP had sent a summary to President Mamnoon Hussain to fix thedate for the next general elections.

The commission had requested the president that a date for next polls to beselected under the act of 2017 (57)1 from July 25 to 27.

The commission had earlier decided hold elections on July 25 or July 26 butit was changed afterwards.

A review report—conducted by ECP—stated that basic facilities have beenprovided in as much as 367 polling stations across Punjab whereas work toprovide same facilities in another 107 polling stations would begin soon.

Meanwhile, Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday estimated aninitial cost of the polls at more than Rs20 billion.

Out of the initial estimated cost, Rs one billion will be spent formaintaining law and order situation during elections, and Rs six to sevenbillion will be spent under the head of election duties while publicationof ballot papers will cost Rs two and a half billions.

The government has assured the commission of provision of the requiredfunds to meet election expenditures, said sources