ECP scolds govt for political inductions

Commission writes letter a day after ex-PM aide made minister

ISLAMABAD:

The country's election oversight authority has urged the caretaker federal government not to appoint individuals with political affiliations to the federal cabinet, noting that there is a general impression that the interim government is a continuation of the last PML-N led coalition government.

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has expressed the views in a letter sent on Wednesday, September 13, to the Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, Syed Tauqir Hussain Shah.

Referring to Article 218(3) of the Constitution, the ECP said it is mandated to organise and conduct elections and make necessary arrangements to ensure that the elections are held honestly, justly, fairly, in accordance with the law, and without being tainted by corrupt practices.

It stated that this provision is a clear call to ensure a level playing field for all political parties and candidates in elections.

Read also: Nawaz’s ex-secretary inducted in interim cabinet

However, the ECP noted that there is a general perception that the caretaker government is a continuation of the previous government. In this regard, it referred to a recent press conference in which a political party blamed the interim government for carrying on with the previous political legacy.

"It is desired that when selecting members of the cabinet, due care should be exercised to avoid persons with known political allegiance. Moreover, when selecting senior civil servants for key positions, this aspect should also be kept in mind to strengthen the neutrality of the caretaker setup," added the letter seen by The Express Tribune.

On September 12, Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar appointed Fawad Hasan Fawad to his cabinet. Fawad had served as the principal secretary to former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and is considered close to the PML-N leadership.

During the rule of the PTI party in July 2018, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had arrested Fawad on charges of corruption in various projects, including a housing scheme. However, an accountability court in February this year acquitted him in the case."