ECP notification on polling agents suspended

The electoral watchdog had permitted appointing polling agents from respective constituencies

LAHORE:

The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Saturday suspended the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) notification for appointing polling agents from the respective constituencies, thus paving the way for their appointment from elsewhere.

The court has only suspended the notification for the by-elections on July 17, and after the polls, the commission may amend the rules to appoint polling agents from respective constituencies.

The LHC held a hearing against the ECP’s decision to appoint polling agents from the respective constituencies in the by-polls. Justice Shahid Jameel conducted the hearing on Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Dr Yasmin Rashid’s petition.

Lawyer Aamir Saeed Rana said that the commission had dismissed the PTI leader’s petition regarding polling agents.

Justice Jameel said that polling agents had several responsibilities, including identifying the voting member.

The lawyer said that they can be hired from anywhere. It is not necessary for them to belong to the respective constituencies, he added.

He said that the practice was same previously, but now the ECP had issued a formal notification.

The commission’s lawyer said that the electoral body’s decision in this regard was in accordance with the law.

The court asked whether a similar notification regarding polling agents had been issued before.

The commission’s lawyer said that it had never been done before.

The court said that to date there has been no election that has been appreciated by both political parties. Justice Jameel wondered how such an order could be given verbally.

The commission’s lawyer said that if polling agents were brought from outside the constituency there may be a fight and the polling process may get affected.

The court said that those who will be brought from outside the constituency will not be “aliens”.

The judge also said that the electoral body should conduct the polls in a clear and transparent manner.

The high court then suspended the ECP’s notification regarding appointing polling agents from respective constituencies.

In the petition filed on behalf of Dr Yasmin, it was stated that the ECP had directed the appointment of polling agents of the respective constituencies in the by-election, which was illegal.

According to the rules of the commission, the polling agents are not required to be from the respective constituencies, the petition added.

It also mentioned that the ECP had dismissed the application related to polling agents.

It, therefore, asked the court to annul the decision of the commission’s decision and take action on the application.