Lack of transparency in transfers/postings before the LG polls
Punjab Election Commission has focused on the transfers and postings of civil servants in the province under its code of conduct since the issuance of the schedule for the Local Government elections, but transfers and postings may have already been made shortly before the announcement of the schedule, Pakistan Today has learnt.
The law officer of the Punjab Election Commission as well as its Public Relations department told Pakistan Today that the Commission could only enforce the code of conduct for elections after the issuance of schedule for the elections but that it could not apply the code before the schedule was announced.
Punjab Secretary Services Ijaz Munir told Pakistan Today that no transfers/postings of civil servants had been made after the issuance of schedules of Punjab local government elections. He said that the Election Commission’s code of conduct had been followed in letter and spirit. However, his office refused to disclose the transfers and postings of civil servants made months before the issuance of the schedule.
Inspector General (IG) Police of Punjab’s office also refused to tell the names of police officers who were transferred within the last two or three months.
Record of transfers and postings for the months leading up to the announcement were not available with the Commission also. Punjab Election Commissioner Masud Ahmad Malik was not available for comment.
Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) insisted on the deployment of army in NA-122 by-elections with the PTI Punjab Organiser Chahdhry Sarwar terming the Punjab Election Commission as ‘B team’ of the ruling party.
PTI has once again demanded the deployment of army in the local government elections but the Punjab Election Commission has told the media that so far the Commission has not decided to deploy army in the elections, but that it could be deployed after getting reports from the concerned quarters.
In the first phase, Punjab local government elections will be held in Lodhran, Vehari, Okara, Pakpattan, Bahawalnagar, Faisalabad, Bhakkar, Lahore, kasur, Nankanasahib, Gujrat and Chakwal.
In the second phase, elections will be held in Khanewal, Sahiwal, Toba Take Singh, Chiniot, Sargodha, Mianwali, Sheikhupura, Gujranwala, Hafizabad, Mandi Bahauddin, Attack and Jehlum.
In the third phase, elections will be held in Layya, Rajanpur, DG Khan, Muzaffar Garh, Jhang, Khoshab, Rawalpindi, Sialkot, Narowal, Raheem Yar Khan, Bahawalpur and Multan districts of Punjab.
