ECP warned against conducting polls in K-P

Despite red signal, electoral body announces April 30 for holding elections in Punjab

ISLAMABAD:

The security agencies have advised the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) not to conduct elections in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa at the moment, saying that the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan is active in the province and poses a grave security threat.

During an ECP meeting, chaired by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja, regarding the election security in K-P and Punjab on Friday, personnel of security agencies informed that there were threats in many districts of Punjab as well.

The Inter-Services Intelligence, Intelligence Bureau, and Counter-Terrorism Department officials opined that the environment was not conducive for holding elections of both the assemblies.

However, the commission announced April 30 for conducting the polling on the seats of the Punjab Assembly in 36 districts of the province.

The ECP called the defence secretary and the director general Military Operations next week. It will also take a briefing from the chief secretaries and inspector generals of police after which a decision will be taken on the polls in K-P.

The CEC said, “In the light of the briefing, it will be easy to take various decisions regarding the peaceful conduct of the election.”

Apart from the members and officials of the ECP, the officers of the Ministry of Defence and sensitive institutions also participated in the meeting. The posting on duty was also discussed.

According to sources, the ECP will take important decisions regarding election security next week after receiving a briefing from all the institutions.

ECP Secretary Umar Hameed Khan said in an informal conversation with journalists that the sensitive institutions informed about the facts on the ground. “Our information increased with the briefing of the sensitive institutions. And the director general Military Operations will give a briefing as well. The Election Commission will take a decision after briefing all the stakeholders.”

Apart from security concerns, the Election Commission asked Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa governments for 350,000 additional candidates for the elections.

The sources said that while giving a briefing to the authorities, the ECP sought 297,000 personnel from other law enforcement agencies in Punjab, while 56,000 more personnel in K-P.

While giving a briefing, the officials said that about 52,000 polling stations will be established in Punjab and 15,000 polling stations in K-P.

“The district returning officers (DROs) will identify highly sensitive polling stations, which will require CCTV cameras and security personnel from other agencies.”

Punjab polls

The ECP has appointed 36 DROs, 297 ROs and 294 assistant ROs for the election in Punjab. All of them have been recruited from the bureaucracy.

The deputy commissioners have been assigned the responsibility of DROs in 36 districts of Punjab.

In this regard, a notification has been issued by the ECP.

According to the notification, Irrigation Deputy Secretary Captain (retd) Waseem has been appointed DRO, Lahore.

The ROs and assistant ROs have been appointed in 29 constituencies of the Provincial Assembly in Lahore.

Elections will be held from PP-144 to PP-173 constituencies of Lahore.

The Punjab CEC has been appointed as the RO for the seats reserved for minorities and women. A notification in this regard has also been issued.

The ECP emphasised that the selection of officials was based on their experience and competence in the field of administration.

“The commission is committed to ensuring that the elections are free, fair, and transparent, and has taken several measures to ensure that the electoral process is conducted smoothly,” the notification said.

The ECP urged all political parties, candidates, and voters to cooperate with the appointed officials and abide by the rules and regulations of the electoral process. It also appealed to all stakeholders to refrain from any activities that could disrupt the electoral process or undermine the integrity of the elections.