The standoff between the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and the government over nomination forms showed no sign of abating on Monday, with the body apparently deciding to go ahead with printing new forms without waiting for the president’s approval, while the Law Minister Farooq Naik insisted the president had the power to approve the changes.
Changes in the nomination forms suggested by the ECP were rejected by the Law Ministry late last week. Barring a couple of cosmetic changes, the ministry had rejected all amendments outright, including those seeking financial details and criminal history of aspiring candidates.
The ECP, however, had put its foot down, defending the proposed changes as constitutional and told the ministry to refer the matter to the president, who is the final authority.
On Monday, the ECP had first decided to extend its deadline on the matter by a day given the president’s international engagement. However, later in the day, it decided to proceed with printing the nomination forms without waiting for the approval, claiming the president’s role in the matter was only ceremonial, and his approval was not mandatory.
The law minister, however, differed.
“Our ministry worked on it; that takes time. We formed our comments on their proposed amendments,” the law minister told reporters outside the parliament on Monday.
He said the ministry furnished its comments on the amendments on Thursday, with written copies of it being provided on Friday.
“On Friday evening I was in Karachi, I found out that the ECP had objections on our comments.”
Naik said that the ECP’s proposed amendments and the comments of the Law Ministry were sent to the president on March 11. “Under rule 107 of the Representation of Peoples Conduct of Elections 1977, the president has the power to approve the changes.”
The commission had previously set March 11 as the deadline for the president to approve the changes sent by the Law Ministry, but extended the deadline until March 12, as the president was out of the country.
ECP Additional Secretary Afzal Khan told reporters that the commission would strengthen democratic institutions of the country by taking concrete steps. “The entire country will bear fruits of these steps.”
He added that the ECP had all the rights and would strictly follow the given election schedule.
Khan also requested the media to refrain from sensationalising news and to send “serious and senior” people to cover elections. “They should take it as a national responsibility.”
independent EC is the need of time. independent means independence in all his decisions even a single piece of advise from the government will make the ec doughtful
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