Three PECs appointed on ad hoc basis in ECP

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Monday, facing acute shortage of senior officers, posted three officers as provincial election commissioners (PECs) in Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab under a stop-gap arrangement, as the three PECs bowed out early this month.

Naeem Majeed Jafar, BPS-21, officer of the Election Commission of Pakistan, presently serving as director general (elections) in the Election Commission, Balochistan (BPS-21) (posted) against the vacant post (PEC) with immediate effect till further orders. 

Pir Maqbool Ahmad, BPS-20, officer of the Election Commission, presently serving as joint provincial election commissioner Khyber Pakhthunkhwa on current charge basis with immediate effect for a period of three months till further orders. 

Sharifullah, BPS-20 officer of the Election Commission, presently serving as joint provincial election commissioner Punjab has been posted as provincial election commissioner Punjab on current charge basis with immediate effect for a period three months. Sharifullah and Pir Maqbool are likely to get extensions in due course of time owing to non-availability of officers. 

Interestingly, the shortage of senior officers is such that both Pir Maqbool and Sharifullah were promoted in BPS-20 from BPS-19 only on January 01, 2017 and now they will be serving technically speaking in BPS-21. 

The PEC Punjab, Masud Ahmad Malik, had retired on February 01, followed by Musarrat Khan, PEC Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on February 05 while Balochistan Election Commissioner Sultan Bayazeed bowed out on February 12. It is pertinent that PEC is a grade-21 post. Moreover, Tanveer Zaki, who is having the charge of the provincial election commissioner Sindh, is in fact an officer of Grade-20 but enjoys the charge of Grade-21 officer. He will also be retiring in mid-June this year.

Meanwhile, the Election Commission of Pakistan has directed both PTI Chairman Imran Khan and the ruling PML-N MNA Hamza Shahbaz to submit in writing their response to the notices served on them with regards to the alleged violation of the bye-election code of conduct during electioneering in Jehlum’s NA-63 constituency last year. The district election commissioner Khurshid Alam had referred the matter to the Election Commission. The forum conducted hearing here.

Senior lawyer Naeem Bokhari appeared before the Election Commission, headed by Chief Election Commissioner Justice (R) Sardar Muhammad Raza, to contend that Imran was sent two notices and replies were duly filed. He argued that Imran was a member of the National Assembly and not a representative of the provincial or federal government, and hence there had been no violation of the code. .