No pressure on ECP, has complete authority: secretary

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) Secretary Babar Yaqoob Fateh Muhammad Saturday said there was no pressure on the Election Commission, as it had complete authority.

Talking to media persons, he said the Election Commission was enjoying complete powers and all the state institutions were cooperating with it.

The ECP, he noted, would take up the matter pertaining to three Allah-o-Akbar Tehreek (AAT) candidates ‘allegedly involved in terrorism’ as per the United Nations list. He explained the names of the persons had been provided by the United Nations and shared with them by the Ministry of Interior.

He, however, said mere accusations could not constitute basis for action. They are: Muhammad Ashraf, candidate for NA-149, Sahiwal, Muhammad Ahsan Ranjha, PP-67, Mandi Bahauddin, and Zafar Iqbal, candidate for PP-113, Faisalabad. He said notices had been issued to them to appear before the Election Commission tomorrow (Monday) at 10:00am. The AAT has fielded 250 candidates for the National Assembly and provincial assemblies.

The subject of the notices is: “Pakistan’s commitments under the FATF and participation of Milli Muslim League in general elections 2018 from the platform of Allah-o-Akbar Tehreek.”

Babar Yaqoob maintained that the institutions were acting according to the Election Commission’s instructions, including the military, judiciary and provincial governments. "I clearly say that we do not have pressure from any institution," he maintained.

He said that all political parties were freely carrying out their election campaign and there was no restriction on them. Replying to a question, he said that the results would be announced through the state-run Pakistan Television and that the result management system would be operational on July 25.

Explaining the security measures with regards to the elections, he pointed out that around 450,000 police personnel and 350,000 officers and soldiers of the Army would perform security duties and that all personnel would be acting under the code of conduct issued by the Election Commission and the presiding officer. He explained that the presiding officers would be responsible for the start and end of polling process. "All the district returning officers (DROs) will have the powers of district and sessions judges," he said.

Babar Yaqoob emphasised that the Election Commission had decided the rules pertaining to the elections and that international observers had also been briefed on the electoral exercise.

The ECP secretary was optimistic about better turn-out on the polling day and urged voters to come out to exercise their right to vote and play their role in democracy in Pakistan. He noted that up to 98 percent facilities at polling stations in Punjab were better as compared to 2013 and similarly, the situation was also quite better in other three provinces as well with regards to provision of facilities at polling stations.

He said that all political parties were campaigning for the polls and action was taken where the ECP's code of conduct was not followed. In this connection, he noted that two letters were written to the Punjab caretaker chief minister over complaints pertaining to election campaign.

The process of printing and transportation of ballot papers, he pointed out, had been completed. All material pertaining to the polls had also been delivered to returning officers. He continued that CCTV cameras had been installed at polling stations, while an audit of postal ballot papers would be randomly conducted.

He said there should be no doubt whatsoever that the Election Commission was carrying out its functions as per the Constitution and the Elections Act, 2017, created by the Parliament. He also emphasised that the Election Commission would maintain its impartiality and faced no pressure from any side. Arrangements, he said, had also been made for the visually impaired voters. He thanked the military and the Supreme Court for cooperating with the Election Commission. Earlier, as per the Election Commission’s cause list, AAT’s candidate from NA-53 was to appear before the four-member bench with regards to using name of Milli Muslim League and Prof Hafiz Muhammad Saeed in his poll campaign. However, he did not turn up.