ECP to change chief secretaries, IGPs

ISLAMABAD: Once the caretaker governments are installed in all the provinces, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) will change all the provincial chief secretaries and the inspectors general of police (IGPs) in order to give neutral administrations for elections in all regions.

The ECP on Monday (June 4) cancelled all postings and transfers made at the federal or provincial levels after the issuance of election programme on 31st May. However, this cancellation order will not affect those appointments, which were made by the federal or provincial executives in consultation with the commission.

“We will make sure that the PML-N in Punjab, PPP in Sindh and PTI in KP do not take any undue advantage from the bureaucracy of the respective province of their last five years,” a senior commission source said.

The source said the major changes would be made as soon as all the caretaker governments take over in all the provinces. Immediately, the chief secretaries and IGPs will be changed and then it will be expected from them to neutralise administrations under them for fair and free elections.

In order to show its intentions for neutrality of civil administration clear during the upcoming general elections, the ECP has already notified all concerned about its intentions vis a vis transfer and postings of government servants.

In a notification issued on Monday (June 4), the ECP directed all federal and provincial authorities concerned to send proposals for transfer/postings, if so required expedients in public interest, of officers/officials for its consideration.

The commission also cancelled all postings/transfers, which were made after the issuance of election programme i.e. 31st May 2018, and sought compliance report from all federal and provincial authorities.

Through the same notification, the ECP reminded all and sundry that Section 5(4) of the Election Act, 2017 read with Section 230(f) of the Election Act, provides that no authority or government including a caretaker government shall post or transfer any official without prior approval in writing of the Election Commission after the issuance of election programme.

The notification added that the commission may itself issue directions to any such government or authority for posting/transfer of any official.

It added that it has come to the notice of the Election Commission that some postings/transfer of the officers have been made after the issuance of election programme without prior approval of the Election Commission by federal and the provincial governments which is violation of the provisions of the Elections Act 2017. Sources said the commission’s order will undo all transfer and postings which have been made without consulting the ECP after May 31. It is said that the order will mainly affect the Sindh government which made many changes in the bureaucracy in violation of the ECP order.