FO given nod to invite foreign observers for polls

Int'l observers will be welcomed under the 'open-door policy'

ISLAMABAD:

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has finally given go go-ahead to the Foreign Office (FO) to initiate the process of extending invitations to international observers ahead of the upcoming elections set to take place early next year.

The decision to formally invite foreign observers was taken at an inter-ministerial meeting held at the ECP Secretariat here on Monday.

Special Secretary Dr Syed Asif Hussain, Zafar Iqbal Hussain and other senior officers attended the meeting. Senior officers from the ministry of foreign affairs, ministry of interior, Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and other related institutions were also in attendance.

Besides, the joint election commissioners of the four provinces, who were appointed as focal persons regarding the observers, also participated in the meeting.

As per the official handout, the secretary ECP said the commission had decided that international observers from all over the world will be welcomed in Pakistan under the “open-door policy”. “They will be given access to the electoral process."

The electoral watchdog directed the ministry of foreign affairs to immediately invite all international observers to come as observers in the elections. The FO was asked to complete the process within a week.

The meeting also directed the FO to make sure interested foreign observers get the visa within a week and there shouldn’t be any hindrance in this regard.

The secretary election commission issued instructions to the ministry of interior and other institutions to ensure the security of all international observers and to complete all security-related matters within two weeks.

Also read: EU against ‘third force’ influencing polls

The FBR was directed that international observers, including representatives of the media, declare all equipment, cameras and other essential goods exempt from customs duty and ensure all possible support to them.

In this regard, an action committee will be formed which will get it after 15 days.

Earlier, there was uncertainty surrounding whether Pakistan would invite foreign observers this time as the European Union (EU) decided not to send an observer mission due to non-invitation from Islamabad.

The ECP later clarified that it always sent invitations closer to the election date. However, the EU this time would send an expert mission instead of an observer mission.

The expert mission comprises only a few people compared to the 50-member EU observer mission deployed in the previous elections. The EU deployed a fully-fledged observer mission during the last three elections in Pakistan.

Part of the reason the EU is not keen to send an observer mission is due to previous difficulties faced by its observers as well as the non-implementation of suggestions put forward by the mission.