Chief Election Commissioner Fakhruddin G Ebrahim. PHOTO: SANA
ISLAMABAD:
Frustrated by scathing criticism stemming from the recent attacks on politicians, the Election Commission of Pakistan has written letters to the caretaker administrations asking them to put in place stringent security measures.
In his letter to the caretaker interior minister, home ministers, secretaries, heads of Rangers in Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan, and Frontier Corps chiefs in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, the chief election commissioner (CEC), Fakhruddin G Ebrahim, asked them to ensure security of all election candidates, top political leaders and voters.
“It is the prime legal and constitutional duty of the executive in each province, presently headed by a caretaker government, to ensure complete safety to the person and property of candidates and leaders of each and every political party as well as common men, women and children through the aegis of police, Rangers and even military. [Continuing] acts of terrorism are likely to lower the morale of the public, as such, must be dealt with an iron hand,” reads the CEC letter.
The development came two days after President Asif Ali Zardari contacted Ebrahim and conveyed his apprehensions over the security situation, which is being considered a daunting challenge for holding the historic parliamentary elections on May 11.
Printing of ballots begins
The election authorities started the printing of around 180 million ballot sheets for the elections. ECP officials said the returning officers (ROs) had sent the final lists of candidates to the provincial headquarters of the commission, which were then sent to the two leading government printing bodies. Green ballot papers will be used for National Assembly and white for Provincial Assembly votes.
The Printing Corporation of Pakistan – which has offices in Islamabad, Karachi and Lahore – will print 120 million ballots, while the rest will be printed at the Pakistan Security Printing Corporation Ltd in Karachi. ‘Non-market’ imported paper with special security features will be used for ballot papers.
Army troops have been deployed for security while ECP officials have been deputed for round-the-clock supervision of the printing process to make sure no sample of the paper is leaked.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 21st, 2013.
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You can't blame caretakers and ECP if the ex-government itself has watered the terrorism instead of breaking its back.
Dear Fakhruddin/ECP,
Security of 190 million souls and sovereignty comes well before few hundred vultures and thugs. It's their own mess and the very fruits of democracy which these politicians have sheltered and watered in their last term. Not even a single drop of tear shall be shed by anyone even if each and every parliamentarian is gone in 'collateral damage' -- remember we are in 'war on terror'? few casualties are not be worried from. Each and every politicians from last 5 years has his/her hands dirty with blood of thousands of innocent lives for what they have made Pakistan went through. Let the very local and concerned SHO take care of their 'beloved' politicians' in their respective jurisdiction.
regards, an un-biased patriotic Pakistani.