LG polls: ECP asked to take notice of CM’s threats to ROs, DROs

ANP slams Khattak’s comments, asks poll body to prevent interference

PESHAWAR: Awami National Party has urged the Election Commission of Pakistan to take notice of the chief minister’s decision to take action against ROs and DROs. 

According to a press statement issued on Saturday, the party’s provincial spokesperson said, “Chief Minister Pervez Khattak’s decision serves as a threat and violates the poll body’s rules and regulations.”

During Friday’s K-P Assembly session, the chief minister said action would be taken against DROs and ROs for mismanagement in the local government elections in the province last month.

Khattak had also referred to a report submitted by DROs and ROs which confirms widespread mismanagement during the May 30 elections. He said the report would be used as a basis to file an FIR against them. In the statement, Sardar Hussain Babak was quoted as saying the chief minister’s remarks served as welcome proof of the extent to which the provincial government had interfered with the polls.

“The CM has proved the rigging allegations levelled by opposition parties as true,” read the statement. “It is now clear the provincial government was putting pressure on the polling staff to ensure it gets a clean chit in the ECP’s report.”

Babak asked the ECP to exercise its constitutional role to prevent the government from interfering in its affairs.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 21^st, 2015.