Major shake-up in ECP before polls

ISLAMABAD: Months before the general election, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) notified postings and transfers of its 86 officers at its secretariat and in four provinces, which is being seen also as a prelude to carrying out delimitation of constituencies anew.

These officers consist of grade-17, 18 and 19 and they have been transferred and posted at the Centre, divisional, regional and district levels. Meanwhile, the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Justice Sardar Muhammad Raza told a lawyer representing Pakistani Awami Tehreek (PAT) in a case challenging re-election of Nawaz Sharif as PML-N head that recent amendments to the Elections Act 2017 had provided legal cover to him to get re-elected as party head.

This he said while hearing petitions filed by PAT, PTI and other parties challenging the party presidency of Nawaz. They want him to quit as PML-N chief, after he was disqualified as prime minister by the Supreme Court in the Panama Papers case. A day after the amended Election Bill 2017 by the Parliament, Nawaz was re-elected president of PML-N unopposed. The case was adjourned till November 30.

The ECP heard a case pertaining to alleged violation of the code of conduct by PTI Chairman Imran Khan during by-elections in Jhelum and Vehari, for which the body had sent notices to the party. Imran had challenged the notices in the Islamabad High Court, contending he had not violated the code, as he did not hold a public office.

PTI lawyer Shahid Gondal recalled during hearing that the party had challenged the restriction imposed by the ECP on party heads and legislators to take part in electioneering. He told the Election Commission that a hearing of the case was scheduled for November 29 in the Islamabad High Court. Later, the hearing of the case was adjourned till December 04. The Election Commission will announce its decision in the case on same day.