PESHAWAR: Caretaker Chief Minister Dost Muhammad Khan has said that any obstruction in the smooth process of polling on the polling day will be a punishable offence and no-one can deny the women of their right to cast their votes.
This he stated during a visit to the Emergency Control Room at the CM Secretariat for the general elections. Principal Secretary Muhammad Akbar Khan gave a detailed briefing to the caretaker chief minister during his visit to the control room. Chief Minister Dost made a number of queries and gave certain directions for the constant interaction with different agencies and the departments responsible for services and facilitation.
He directed to communicate to the heads of PESCO and TESCO for uninterrupted supply of the electricity on the elections day throughout the province. He said that they should also ensure back up support and generators in functional condition to facilitate uninterrupted electricity in all the polling stations and other sensitive places on the elections day.
The chief minister directed the officials in the Emergency Control Room to collect and monitor complaints of the voters and entertain their genuine complaints within 24 hours. He said that the control room should constantly look at the obstructions and problems in the whole election process and take immediate measures to resolve them. He said that the basic aim behind the establishment of the Emergency Control Room was to ensure the peaceful, neutral and transparent holding of elections throughout the province.
He said that anything and any move restricting the women to cast their votes would be a punishable offence. Chief Minister Dost directed the quarter concerned to ensure wheel–chairs in the election polling booths for the aged and disabled persons in order to facilitate them in casting their votes. He ordered to ensure the presence of all government officials on their duty places.
He said that there would be no off and all government officials should be present in their places of duties. He said that their failure would trigger disciplinary action against them. He directed the Emergency Control Room to establish constant and uninterrupted liaison and coordinate with all public sector entities delivering services during the elections.
