FAFEN report: A string of transfers as elections approach

Around 14 cases of transfers and appointments have been reported in 11 districts.

ISLAMABAD: As general elections close in, the government has initiated a string of new appointments and transfers of senior officials in various departments across the country.

Findings of a report by Free and Fair Election Network (Fafen) noted around 14 cases of transfers and postings of election staff, police officials and district government personnel in 11 districts.

The FAFEN, a private organisation, monitors the compliance of executive branch with Election Commission of Pakistan’s code of conduct.

The district long-term observers (DLTOs) of the organisation collected the data from four districts of Punjab, five of Sindh, and two of Balochistan in the first two weeks of February.

Most number of cases were reported in Panjgur district.

In Balochistan, four civil servants were replaced, including one in Lasbela and three in Panjgur district.

Punjab had a count of five in its districts of Khanewal – with two postings – Hafizabad, Gujranwala, and Gujrat.

A total of five cases of transfers and appointments were reported in Ghotki, Karachi Central, Kamber Shahdadkot, Tando Allahyar, and Karachi West districts of Sindh.



Meanwhile, the report states most appointments of district election commissioners (DECs) or assistant election commissioners (AECs) took place in districts of Tando Allahyar, Karachi West, and Kamber Shahdadkot in Sindh, and Lasbela in Balochistan.

In the police department, two station house officers (SHO) and district police officers (DPO) were appointed in Khanewal in Punjab and Panjgur in Balochistan.  A district and sessions judge was also appointed in Khanewal.

The education department saw three executive district officers education (EDO) hired in Panjgur in Balochistan and Ghotki and Karachi Central in Sindh. Gujrat in Punjab also appointed a new EDO works and services. A new district coordination officer (DCO) was also appointed in Panjgur in Balochistan.



An executive engineer of WAPDA in Hafizabad, tehsil municipal officer (TMO) of Aroop Town and residential director of Arts Council were appointed in Gujranwala, Punjab.

The FAFEN observers are tasked with monitoring the activities of district election commissioner (DEC) offices, the appointment and training of election officials, the process of candidate nominations, and compliance with the ECP’s code of conduct for political parties and candidates.

In addition, they report on compliance of the executive branch with legal responsibilities and ECP’s regulations, including restrictions on transfers of civil service personnel and initiation of new development schemes.

Furthermore, they also monitor political and electoral intimidation and violence, the actions of the police and other security forces, and the overall political environment during the pre-election period.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 18^th, 2013.