Opposition leader urges ECP to review pre-poll restrictions

Khusheed Shah says notice should be issued as and when election dates are announced

ISLAMABAD: Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Khursheed Shah has urged the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Wednesday, to review the order barring public institutions from recruitment.

Referring to the notification which halts hiring in the federal, provincial and local government institutions since April 2018, Shah points out that order has been “issued too early i.e. much before the announcement of Elections 2018 dates”. It is pertinent to add that the notice was not put into effect for the hiring done under Federal Public Service Commission and Provincial Public Service Commissions.



The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader notes that government functions will be stuck before elections if the ECP instructions are implemented. Shah has asked the commission to reissue the order “as and when elections dates are announced” so it does not hinder government functions.

The ECP notification had instructed that development plans such as installation of the gas pipelines, carpeting of roads, water supply schemes and others approved on or later than April 1, 2018 will be halted while funds issued for ongoing development works will not be transferred.



In another statement the ECP had decided to deploy officers of a subordinate court as district returning officers, returning officers and assistant returning officers in the upcoming general elections. For this purpose, ECP had requested all high courts to provide lists of their judicial officers. The courts have complied with the ECP requests and provided the lists.