Out of the 14,484 summary sheets, the scrutiny of around 7,609 has been completed. PHOTO: FILE
The election authorities ordered a major shake-up in the bureaucracy on Tuesday, redeploying officials in different departments but sparing a handful of officials who are unlikely to influence the outcome of the parliamentary polls.
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) also directed the caretaker governments to share the names of those bureaucrats who won’t be transferred and cite the reasons for that.
In its notification, the ECP quoted Supreme Court’s judgment in the Workers Party Case to substantiate its stance that it could pass such directives to the government.
Besides this, the commission also asked the federal and provincial governments to assess whether the chairpersons and chief executives of all autonomous and semi-autonomous and state-owned bodies, inspectors-general of police, capital city police officers, city commissioners, district coordination officers, district police officers, station house officers, revenue officials and executive district officers were independent individuals and transfer those who did not meet the criteria.
However, this will not be applicable to specific transfers made under the directives of the ECP.
Last week, the commission had directed the transfers of the chief secretaries of Punjab and Sindh.
The ECP, via the electoral reforms package, had sought authority to make such transfers and postings on its own after issuing the election schedule. It had also sought the power to take action against government officials found to influence the election process in any manner to favour a political party or candidate.
However, the parliamentary committee on electoral reforms and some members of the last National Assembly had rejected the proposal.
ECP continues scrutiny of contestants
The ECP continues to receive summary sheets of contesting candidates for the National Assembly and provincial legislatures from district returning officers and by Tuesday evening, summary sheets of around 14,484 contestants were sent to the ECP. The scrutinising of candidates started on Monday and will have to be completed by April 7.
Out of the 14,484 summary sheets, the scrutiny of around 7,609 has been completed.
According to procedures, the district retuning officers have to send the summary bearing the name, Computerised National Identity Card copy and the national tax number to the election commission headquarters as soon they receive the nomination form.
The National Database and Registration Authority, State Bank of Pakistan, Federal Board of Revenue and National Accountability Bureau also scrutinise the forms for any financial, tax and criminal history of the candidates and send their feedback to ECP which then forwards the checks back to the returning officers.
These officers then further analyse the nomination forms based on the feedback and any objections filed against a candidate by his/her opponents.
Fair scrutiny ordered
Chief Justice Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry has asked returning officers to scrutinise candidates’ nomination papers for the May 11 general elections without succumbing to any outside pressure. In a letter, the chief justice said these judicial officers should discharge their responsibilities in accordance with the law and treat all and sundry equally across the board. “We should come out with a commitment to enforce the constitutional mandate and ensure that elected representatives come forward to govern this country without carrying any label of any disqualification,” the CJP remarked.
K-P bureaucracy reshuffled
Additional Inspector General Police in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Liaquat Ali Khan, has been appointed as the Capital City Police Officer Peshawar. A notification to this effect was issued by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa establishment department on Tuesday. Capital City Police Officer Syed Imtiaz Altaf will report to the Centre Police Office.
Similarly, Peshawar Division Commissioner, Tariq Jamil has been appointed as Sports, Tourism and Archives Department secretary. Sahibzada Muhammad Anis, Commissioner Kohat division has been appointed as commissioner of Peshawar Division. According to the notification, Syed Jamaluddin Shah Secretary Sports, Tourism and Archives Department will replace Anis as commissioner of Kohat division.
The notification further said that Shah’s additional charge of Managing Director of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Tourism Corporation (TCKP) was taken back from him and assigned to Tariq Jamil who will also hold the additional post of managing director of TCKP.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 3rd, 2013.
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