No authority can interfere in election matters: ECP

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has categorically said that no civil or military authority could interference into the election-related functions of the Commission.

Spokesman for the ECP Chaudhry Nadeem Qasim told ‘The News’ here on Monday that following the Kasur and Sargodha incidents where some military officers had called meetings of DROs, ROs and other officials on election 2018, the ECP took up the matter with the military authorities and got the assurance that no such acts would repeat in future. Chaudhry Nadeem Qasim, who is also Director Elections in the ECP, said that the issue has been settled and as per the law and the constitution, no interference from any civil or military authority into the election related functions would be allowed.

Qasim said that DROs (District Returning Officers) and ROs (Returning Officers) are the final authority at their levels in respect to the conduct of the elections. To a question, Qasim said that the code of conduct for the military and other security officials engaged for security duties, will be notified soon after its approval by the Commission. The code will clarify the dos and don’ts for the army and other security officials.

The Kasur and Sargodha incidents have not only upset the concerned DROs and ROs but also made the Lahore High Court (LHC) intervene and write to the ECP to stop such practices.

Initially, the ECP was informed by the LHC about Kasur incident where the District and Sessions Judge, Kasur had received a letter from an acting commanding officer of Abdul Majeed Axe Camp, Kasur for a conference at camp regarding general elections 2018.

The LHC had told the ECP that the constitution stipulates independence of judiciary in an explicit and discernible manner, therefore, “the derogatory direction issued to DROs & ROs by above mentioned Acting Commanding Officer to attend the conference at Abdul Majeed Axe Camp, Kasur regarding General Election 2018” cannot be allowed by the law and the constitution.

A few days later, the ECP received another complaint from District and Sessions Judge Sargodha, who wrote to the ECP that he had got a letter from Officer Commanding, Rachna Warriors 29 Radar Controlled Gun Air Defence Regiment, Sargodha for attending a meeting on July 2 in his office.

The district and sessions judge, who is also the DRO Sargodha, told the Commission, “this letter (from military officer) is oblivion to the role and position of District Returning Officer for the conduct of free, fair and transparent General Election-2018. Army has been deployed for provision of security in aid to this office.”

Following these disturbing developments, the ECP took up the matter with the GHQ, which, as reported by The News on Monday, had admitted that these incidents were the consequence of a mistake.