ECP acts against two of its officials on Daska reports

Punjab joint provincial election commissioner, deputy director made OSDs

ISLAMABAD:

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday began implementing the recommendations, outlined in the Daska by-poll inquiry reports, against two top officials found guilty of administrative negligence in the NA-75 (Sialkot-IV) by-elections.

The ECP has notified Punjab Joint Provincial Election Commissioner Abid Hussain and Deputy Director Athar Abbasi as officers on special duty (OSDs).

According to a notification issued by the ECP’s establishment wing, both the officers have been directed to report to the central secretariat.

The reports also exposed the role of officers of the Punjab Education Department.

Earlier, the ECP had formed two inquiry commissions. One commission was assigned the task to investigate the administrative officers regarding any negligence of duty on the day of polling, due to which the law and order was violated.

The second commission was formed to ascertain the facts about the presiding officers and security personnel on duty, who went missing on the election night and came to the office of the returning officer on the morning of February 20.

The inquiry reports stated that in light of the statements of the presiding officers, use of money to influence the results of the by-elections could not be ignored. The reports found the district returning officer (DRO) and the returning officer (RO) guilty of administrative negligence.

During the inquiry proceedings, former Sialkot deputy commissioner Zeeshan Javed Lashari confessed to meeting important political personalities while then district police officer (DPO) and the deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Zulfiqar Virk blamed each other for the law and order situation, it added.

Read ECP to discuss electronic voting in Lahore by-poll

At a meeting on Monday, the inquiry reports were reviewed. The ECP made both the reports public, which are now available on the commission’s website.

It was decided in the meeting that there would be departmental action or criminal proceedings or both against those responsible.

In this regard, the ECP constituted a committee, comprising special secretary, director general law, director human resources and deputy director law to assist the ECP. This committee would be headed by the ECP secretary.

Separately, the ECP has invited applications for postal ballot papers for the by-election for PP-206, Khanewal.

The applications, including those from government employees and the soldiers, can be submitted by December 1.

In addition, the special persons belonging to the constituency as well as those behind bars can also submit their applications.

The applications will be submitted to the ROs concerned.

The constituents will not be able to cast their votes at the polling station if their postal ballot papers are already issued.