CEC Sunil Arora with other officials in Lucknow on Thursday. (Express photo by Vishal Srivastav) CEC Sunil Arora with other officials in Lucknow on Thursday. (Express photo by Vishal Srivastav)

In the wake of heightened tensions between India and Pakistan, the Election Commission Friday assured that the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections will be held “on time”. The 2019 General Elections are scheduled to be held by May.

When asked if the standoff between the two neighbouring countries will have any impact on the poll schedule, Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora said the elections will be held “on time”. The specific dates of the elections have not been declared yet. The CEC is in Lucknow for the past two days to review poll preparations in the state.

He said as per a new notification of the commission, candidates will have to give details of their properties abroad, besides those in the country. “The I-T department will look into it and, if any, discrepancies are found then it will be uploaded on the Election Commission (EC) website and strict action will be initiated,” the CEC said.

India and Pakistan are engaged in a face-off following a suicide attack on a CRPF convoy by a Jaish terrorist in Kashmir’s Pulwama on February 14 in which 40 soldiers were killed. On February 26, India carried out a “non-military pre-emptive action”against a Jaish terror camp in Pakistan’s Balakot. A day later, Pakistan responded with an air strike, violating Indian air space, and shot down an IAF plane and captured its pilot, identified as Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman.

Abhinandan will be repatriated today evening in what Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan termed was a “gesture of peace” to “de-escalate” tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours. India, meanwhile, had made it clear it won’t agree to any negotiation and demanded that the pilot be returned “immediately and unharmed”. The return of Abhinandan is in consonance with the Geneva conventions.

The Indian armed forces, at a joint press briefing in New Delhi Thursday, assured the country of “a resolute, swift and strong response when needed”. Major General Surendra Singh Mahal, addressing the press along with Air Vice Marshal R G K Kapoor and Rear Admiral Dalbir Singh Gujral, said: “Despite the present turn of events, the Indian Army is committed to maintaining peace and stability in the region and will continue to act against agencies who harbour inimical designs against India and citizens of our country.”

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