The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Thursday directed all government departments and ministries to lift a ban on recruitments and transfers throughout the country.
ECP Additional Secretary Afzal Khan said the ban had been imposed in January because it was feared that the outgoing government could make biased appointments and transfers on political grounds.
“As an impartial caretaker government has now been inducted‚ there is no need for continuing the ban,” he said.
Elaborating further, he said the ECP had directed all government departments to make recruitments and transfers purely on merit.
Meanwhile, the ECP also directed all broadcasters and newspapers to submit details of paid and unpaid political content containing names‚ symbols or photographs of candidates or leaders of political parties carried in newspapers or shown on TV on a weekly basis.
The ECP notified that these details must include the duration‚ timing and frequency of such content along with tariffs charged by the broadcasters and newspapers.
The media organisations were also directed to submit details of payments and contributions received or due from political parties or any other person pertaining to advertisement campaigns.
The ECP has decided to maintain comprehensive data on expenses incurred in political advertisement campaigns.