ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Thursday clarified that it has not barred international observers from covering the 2018 general elections, refuting the media reports claiming issuance of such orders.
In a press release on Thursday, the ECP wrote, “It is being made clear that the election commission considers all observers (national and international) an important part of the polling procedure. A comprehensive planning is being carried out for all observers so that no hurdle is faced while observation of election.”
The ECP further told that the international election observers can send their applications to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs which is the standard operating procedure. “ECP will issue permission letters to all international observers,” the release said.
It was mentioned that observation of elections was part of the section 238 of 2017 elections act.
On Wednesday, the ECP had announced that it had prepared a code of conduct for foreign observers in the upcoming general elections. The election commission said that foreign observers can come to Pakistan for four to six weeks.
It was widely circulated on social media that the orders were in fact to ban all international observers.
[…] Source: Google News […]
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