The Election Commission of Pakistan issued a set of guidelines to interim governments in the Centre and provinces on Tuesday, asking them to assist the electoral watchdog in holding polls in accordance with the law.
The instructions were listed in a notification, which has been issued as the country heads into an election period and the National Assembly and all four provincial assemblies in the country stand dissolved.
The notification states that the ECP is “mandated with the constitutional duty to organise and conduct elections in terms of Article 218(3) of the Constitution and to make such arrangements as are necessary to ensure that the elections are conducted honestly, justly, fairly and in accordance with the law and that corrupt practices are guarded against”.
“It has become imperative that the election commission shall take all necessary steps under the Constitution and prevalent law for the smooth conduct of general elections,” the notification adds as it goes on to elaborate on guidelines for interim setups at the Centre and in provinces to ensure transparent elections and a level playing field for all contesting candidates and political parties.
The ECP has further asked the caretaker governments not to post or transfer any public official after the issuance of this notification under the federal and provincial governments without the commission’s prior approval in writing.
Moreover, “ensure that all kinds of recruitments in any ministry, division, department or institution under the federal, provincial and local government[s] are banned with immediate effect, except with the prior approval of the ECP and except recruitments by the federal and provincial public service commissions and those government organisations where test/ interviews have already been conducted before this day,” the notification reads.
It also bars interim setups from announcing or executing any kind of development schemes at federal and provincial levels except those which are ongoing and approved before the issuance of this notification. Moreover, the federal, provincial and local governments shall not issue tenders of such schemes till the culmination of general elections and except with the prior approval of the ECP.
