The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has suggested the government to dissolve the assemblies by February 15.
A private TV channel reported that the suggestion was floated during a meeting with the federal ministers who called on Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Justice (r) Fakhruddin G Ebrahim.
The CEC demanded the government to establish a caretaker setup by mid-February, adding that Punjab should be taken on board so that all national and provincial assemblies are simultaneously dissolved.
Ebrahim said the ECP wanted to hold the general elections for national and provincial assemblies on a single day, as it would help dispel the impression of rigging.
He added that the sooner caretaker setup was established, the lesser would be the likelihood for rigging in the general elections.
Expressing reservation on the ECP’s recent notification regarding the ban on recruitments in the government sector, a delegation comprising of senior leaders of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) on Thursday met with Election Commissioner, requesting him to lift the ban on recruitments, contending that under the law it could not impose ban before the announcement of election schedule.
The CEC and ECP members told the delegation that in order to conduct free, fair and transparent elections under Article 218, the ECP had the power to impose ban on recruitments. However, the government delegation led by Senior Minister Khursheed Shah and comprising Law Minister Farooq H Naek and Manzoor Wattoo, was of the view that under Article 218, the ECP could not impose ban before the announcement of the election schedule.
On this, the CEC asked the delegation to submit written application, saying the ECP would then examine it.
Sources in the ECP told Pakistan Today that the CEC also informed the government delegation that the commission had proposed 24 new clauses in the draft bill of election reforms, including an important proposal of 30-day scrutiny period for nomination papers of candidates. The ECP officials asked the delegation to make legislation on the said proposals.
On this, sources said that Law Minister Farooq H Naek told the commission that if the current assemblies were dissolved on the scheduled period, then the 30-day period could not be reserved for scrutiny purpose.
Interestingly, Farooq H Naek and Khurshed Shah were part of a 10-member committee which inked an agreement with Dr Tahirul Qadri. The agreement, besides other proposals, includes a 30-day scrutiny period for nomination papers for candidates.
The delegations also discussed the decision of putting bar on diversion of funds already allocated for development funds. They informed the commission that freezing of funds at this point in time would hinder the ongoing development projects and raise their cost. The ECP sought written application on this issue as well.
Earlier on Monday, the ECP, in order to stop the government from “engineering” the forthcoming elections, imposed a ban on all types of recruitments in the government sector with immediate effect. The ECP had also put a bar on the diversion of funds already allocated to various development projects. However, the Federal Public Service Commission and the Provincial Public Service Commission are exempted from the ECP’s ban on recruitments.
