Law, order sole responsibility of KP, says ECP

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Monday rejected the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government’s assertion that law and order during the local bodies polls was the ECP’s responsibility.
“There are reports in the media wherein the ECP has been blamed for violence on polling day, creating an impression as if the maintenance of law and order was the responsibility of the ECP. It is clarified that the maintenance of law and order during the elections is the sole responsibility of provincial government,” the Commission stated in its official statement.
It has also been reported that elections have been declared null and void at 26 polling stations because of complaints of rigging. The ECP said had the exercise been held in phases as per its advice, there would have been no violence and mismanagement.
Reacting to statements coming from PTI Chairman Imran Khan, KP Chief Minister Pervaiz Khattak and other PTI leaders, the ECP asserted that despite its advice for holding the electoral exercise in phases, the provincial government opted to conduct the polls in one day.
The statement noted the ECP arranged an additional force through the Interior Division and the GHQ for beefing up security in the province. In nutshell, elections were a joint exercise during which no organisation can absolve itself of its responsibility, it said.
“There is also a misconception that ECP was responsible for local government elections in a single day. In fact, keeping in view the security measures and requirement of huge number of polling staff, ECP had already advised the provincial government for conducting the elections in phases, but the provincial government was of the view that the poll may be held on one day,” it pointed out.
The commission maintained that the advice and views of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government were on record. In case, the election would have been held in phases, as it was done in the past i.e. in 2001 and 2005 local government elections, the incidents of mismanagement and violence could have been avoided and controlled.“The Election Commission, however, is determined to take punitive measures wherever and whoever has violated the law,” the commission made it clear.
INP adds: “Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government’s stance on conducting the elections in one day is on record,” said the statement.“The provincial government must stop putting its own responsibilities on others”.The ECP, however, is determined to take punitive measures against violation of law.