Daska by-polls: ECP forms body for action against DRO, RO

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan Monday formed a five-member committee to assist it on action to be taken in the light of the Daska by-election report.

Keeping in view the administrative shortcomings of the District Returning Officer (DRO) and the Returning Officer (RO), both officers have been made OSD by reporting to the ECP so that further action can be taken against them in the light of the inquiry report.

It was decided that action would be taken against the officers and employees held responsible in the two inquiries. The committee formed in the ECP meeting held here, will consist of Special Secretary, DG Law, Director HR and DD Law, who would assist the ECP. The committee will be headed by the ECP secretary.

In the light of the inquiry report, the commission will initiate departmental or criminal proceedings against the responsible or both. The next formal meeting of the commission will be held after seven days. Presided over by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja, the meeting was attended by ECP members Nisar Ahmad Durrani, Shah Mehmood Jatoi, secretary and senior officers. The commission had constituted two inquiry committees on the Daska by-polls. The first committee was constituted to probe against all administrative officers comprising Saeed Gul, Joint Provincial Election Commissioner, Majid Sharif Dogar, Regional Election Commissioner, Gujranwala, and Mujahid Sherdal, Special Secretary, Finance Department, Punjab.

The mandate of the committee was to determine officers responsible for the delivery and return of goods from the office of the Returning Officer in the security cordon of negligence of duty on the day of polling, which led to unrest and breach of law and order, so that disciplinary action could be taken against them.

The second committee was set up to find out facts about the presiding officers and security personnel on duty who went missing on the election night and came to the office of the Returning Officer on the morning of February 20, 2021. The mandate of the inquiry officer was to enlist the help of an expert body and make it possible to obtain forensics to find out where the presiding officers stayed, which led to a delay in the result.