ECP bars parliamentarians from using electronic items during Senate elections

Move comes as government tries to prevent horse-trading during Senate polls

ISLAMABAD: In order to ensure secrecy of the ballot, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) banned on Tuesday all members of the National and provincial assemblies from using mobile phones and electronic items in the wake of the Senate elections.

In a statement issued by the ECP, the commission said it "imposed a ban upon members of the National Assembly and all provincial assemblies for taking with them mobile phones or other electronic devices, through which pictures can be taken, in the premises of the polling."

The move comes as government tries to curb horse-trading in the upcoming Senate polls, whereby voters can switch sides unofficially and caste votes in exchange of money. For this purpose, voters take pictures of their ballot papers as proof of who they have voted for.

Read: All must unite to prevent horse trading in Senate elections: PM

The ECP was acting upon Article 226 of the Constitution which upholds all elections to be held by secret ballot. In a statement, the commission "directed all Returning Officers to ensure that that the secrecy of the ballot to not be violated through any mode whatsoever."

As the Senate elections, scheduled for March 5, approach, political parties are on the move to build alliances.

On Sunday, Pakistan People's Party Co-Chairperson Asif Ali Zardari and Jamaiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman reached the understanding, where PPP co-chairperson Asif AliZardari said his party, JUI-F and Awami National Party were on the same page vis-à-vis Senate polls. “The PPP is also making efforts to convince Aftab Ahmed Sherpao’s Qaumi Watan Party to join the alliance.”

Read: Senate elections: Zardari outwits PML-N, wins support of JUI-F