The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has urged the government to grant it more administrative powers before the upcoming general elections.
ECP Secretary Ishtiaq Ahmed Khan said on Thursday that the ECP did not have the authority to transfer or suspend the chief secretary, inspector general and other such officers, adding that it could only recommend the government to act against the officers. The ECP should be given more rights to transfer or suspend officers as it sees fit, the ECP secretary added.
Khan was speaking at a meeting of the Senate Special Committee for Elections chaired by Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Senator Jahangir Badar. The ECP secretary and National Database Registration Authority (NADRA) Chairman Tariq Malik briefed the meeting.
Khan told the meeting that the decision on whether to give voting rights to overseas Pakistanis or reserving legislative seats for them remained with the parliament.
He further said that increasing the representation of Balochistan in the parliament would resolve many issues, adding that it was the parliament’s job to carry out legislation about Balochistan.
The ECP secretary said that the chief secretaries, interior secretary and the director general of Rangers would be summoned next month and given directives to ensure the implementation of the Electoral Code of Conduct. Moreover, he added that even if the Supreme Court did not allow the appointment of a district and sessions judge, the ECP would still remain prepared to conduct the elections. NADRA Chairman Tariq Malik also informed the committee that 1.98 million deceased people, who had earlier been erroneously included in the electoral rolls, had been removed from lists.
