Army to extend support for fair polls: COAS

RAWALPINDI: Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa while addressing the 211th Corps Commanders Conference here at the General Headquarters (GHQ) on Wednesday maintained that the Pakistan Army would perform its mandated support for conducting transparent general elections while also focussing on professional duties.

The forum besides reviewing geo-strategic environment and security-related issues also discussed provision of mandated assistance to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for free, fair and transparent conduct of General Elections 2018, the ISPR said. "The COAS directed this national duty be performed with utmost responsibility and without losing any focus on defence and internal security challenges," it said.

The forum reviewed geo-strategic environment and recent security and other related developments in the region. The forum decided to continue contributing positive efforts to carry forward dividends of achieved domestic peace and stability beyond borders to the region. Progress of Operation Raddul Fasad and socio-economic development in cleared areas was also deliberated with commitment to achieve lasting peace and stability. It may be pointed out here that the Election Commission moved a summary to the Ministry of Defence seeking deployment of Army personnel at polling stations and three printing presses during printing of ballot papers. The Army troops would also provide security for safe transportation of ballot papers to respective destinations. The army chief during his second meeting with Prime Minister Justice (R) Nasirul Mulk assured Army's support in conducting fair and transparent elections.

Mumtaz Alvi adds from Islamabad: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) Wednesday called on all political parties, which had applied for election symbols for the upcoming general elections to submit lists of tickets issued to male and female candidates, including 5 per cent tickets to females on general seats.

The ECP has said that the lists be submitted within five days so that the Section 206 of the Elections Act, 2017 could be implemented.

The ECP Wednesday decided to start printing of record over 210 million ballot papers from July 01 under the supervision of the military personnel.

To this effect, the ECP has asked the District Returning Officers (DROs) and the Returning Officers (ROs) to send the number of ballot papers needed in each district, along with a list of voters by June 30.

Moreover, ballot papers will be printed in round figures i.e. if a polling station has 1,201 voters, 1,300 papers will be printed. More importantly, to ensure transparency in the upcoming polls, the ECP is importing papers for the printing of ballot papers, involving cost of well over Rs2 billion. The ballot papers will carry a watermark. Moreover, it was decided in a meeting that the printing of ballot papers will commence from July 1 at printing presses in Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi under the supervision of the army. The distribution of ballot papers will also be carried out with provision of security by the army.

Meanwhile, in a circular issued Wednesday, the ECP cancelled leaves of its staff, including the weekends, till the July 25 polls directing supervisors to ensure the presence of their staff. A team of the European Union's (EU) Election Observation Mission (EU EOM) reached Islamabad to monitor the election process. The EU EOM also visited the ECP to hold a meeting with top officials. On the other hand, the four member delegation from the European Union -Election Observation Mission (EU EOM) to Pakistan led by Michael Gahler paid a courtesy call on Senator Sherry Rehman, Leader of Opposition in the Senate at Parliament House here. The delegation briefed the Leader of Opposition on their mandate and overall workings during the Election 2018.

Senator Sherry Rehman highlighted the importance of the presence of election observers through such a huge electoral exercise as a general election in Pakistan.

Sherry Rehman said, “The people of Pakistan vest great hope in electing their public representatives. We hope in turn to raise the standard of governance and responsiveness to public needs each time a government is elected through an open democratic process. Ensuring a level playing field is a crucial norm for all political parties and candidates in the contest, and a process that is questioned either before, or on, or even after actual polling day is not going to have the stamp of legitimacy”.

Sherry Rehman added that “constitutionally guaranteed freedoms must be observed, as well as seen to be observed. The right to free and open media is one of them. We have received complaints in the Senate committees about blockages and intimidation of certain media outlets, including newspapers, and are concerned that such curbs on access to free media may cast a shadow on the state of fundamental entitlements in the country”.

Sherry Rehman said that a peaceful , constitutional transfer of power through the democratic process is a powerful message of stability and directional change for Pakistan, and that she hopes that complaints of intimidation and pressure of candidates to change party loyalties do not become a norm that tilt the playing field in any particular direction.