Punjab Election Commissioner Ijaz Anwar Chohan said on Wednesday that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) was fully prepared to deal with any situation on the election day.
Talking to reporters in Lahore, he said that the election commission was committed to holding free and fair elections because under the constitution it was its duty.
He said that instructions had been issued to the presiding officers to fill in the form 45 with extreme care and take signatures of polling agents of political parties on them. Chohan appealed to the parties to play their role in holding free, fair and transparent elections. “It is my request to these parties to abide by the code of conduct devised by the ECP on the day of polling,” he said, and made it clear that action would be taken against those taking law into their own hands on the election day.
The election commissioner asked people to turn up at polling stations to vote for the candidates of their choice.
Chohan said that action would be taken against deficiencies or negligence by returning officers, adding the instructions were passed yesterday and will be reiterated. “I want to send my message to the important stakeholders and contesting candidates that they should play
their part in conducting free, fair and transparent elections,” Chohan said, adding that they should follow the instructions issued by the ECP.
