Security for polls: ECP throws ball back into govt’s court

Says providing security is the executive’s domain.

ISLAMABAD:

As the country edges closer to the historic May 11 polls, the Election Commission of Pakistan and interim government cannot see eye-to-eye on whose responsibility it is to provide the security needed to ensure peaceful and transparent elections.

With pre-poll violence continuing unabated, the ECP on Thursday declined caretaker Prime Minister Mir Hazar Khan Khoso’s decision to place the administrative control of the National Crisis Management Cell, presently working under the interior ministry, at the disposal of the election commission.

The NCMC is a body constituted to coordinate between all law enforcement agencies in order to deal with security threats.

Following a meeting at its headquarters in Islamabad, the ECP said that maintaining law and order was the prime responsibility of the federal and provincial governments.

“We cannot hold free and fair elections unless law and order is maintained. Please provide us law and order … and we will give you free elections,” Chief Election Commissioner Justice (retd) Fakharuddin G Ebrahim said in his opening statement at the meeting.

“We are responsible for holding elections. Law and order is not in our hands,” Ebrahim was quoted as saying.

At the same time, the retired judge said he was concerned at the present law and order situation.

“The commission is of the considered view that maintaining law and order and provision of security during an election is the responsibility of the executive and such responsibility cannot be entrusted to the ECP,” an ECP spokesman said after the meeting.

The poll body quoted the verdict of the Supreme Court in the Workers Party case to corroborate its stance.

“However, we have noticed that the executives who are bound to assist the ECP for holding honest, free and fair general elections are required to ensure protection to the life and property of the citizens, voters and candidates throughout the country, because a peaceful and congenial atmosphere persuades the voters, citizens and the candidates to show their full participation in the process of general elections throughout the country.”

It went on to add that there were certain areas where the life and property of the citizens, voters and the candidates seemed to be not protected, as had been reported in the media regarding incidents of bomb blasts and murders.

“Therefore, we direct the chief secretaries of the provinces and the chief commissioner ICT (Islamabad Capital Territory) to ensure complete control of the law and order situation throughout the country so the process of the general elections is completed peacefully,” it quoted from the relevant paragraph of the court order.

ECP’s SMS service

The commission decided to provide additional information to voters regarding the location of their polling stations via the short message service.

Secretary ECP Ishtiaq Ahmed Khan also clarified that cellular services would not be suspended when asked about the possibility of a suspension owing to security threats.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 3^rd, 2013.