Polls schedule tomorrow likely: CEC hopes nominations from Thursday
By Our Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD, Aug 12: Chief Election Commissioner Justice Irshad Hasan Khan said on Monday that the schedule for the forthcoming elections was expected to be announced on Aug 14.
Speaking at a press conference here, the CEC said it was expected that President Musharraf would make an announcement in this regard on Aug 14.
Justice Irshad said it was expected that nomination process would start from Aug 15.
The CEC, flanked by three EC members and secretary Hasan Mohammad, said the Supreme Court judgment validating the military takeover had required the chief executive to give an election schedule.
He said President Musharraf had announced that elections to national, and provincial assemblies and senate would be held on Oct 10, but with the revival of previous procedure for senate election, these elections could not be held simultaneously and the EC was waiting for the amended order by the chief executive in this regard.
He said under the existing schedule, elections to the senate could not be held and the chief executive was required to give a new date along with the election schedule.
Asked that the government was attempting to conduct elections on non-party basis, the CEC said elections would be held on party basis and if the government decided to hold them on non-party basis he would quit.
To a question, the CEC said the Election Commission had asked the Pakistan Army for its availability for election duty.
The CEC got irritated when he was repeatedly asked about transparency of elections and reminded of irregularities in the presidential referendum. “Forget referendum,” he told reporters.
Justice Irshad said that the commission had taken cognizance of the reports that the chief secretary Punjab, home secretary and IG Police were conducting interviews of certain candidates.
He said the EC had decided to call for reports from these officials within one week.
To ensure free and fair elections, the authorities at Centre and in the provinces should not use state resources anywhere in Pakistan to the unfair advantage of any candidate, he maintained.
The CEC said the Election Commission had received applications for registration from 99 political parties, while 76 parties had applied for the allotment of symbols. He said the Election Commission would decide about registration of parties in the light of Political Parties Order 2002.
Justice Irshad said the EC had recommended the government to amend the Representation of People Act 1976, making capturing of a polling station an offence punishable with five years imprisonment.
The offence shall be tried by a sessions court and an appeal against such decisions shall be filed before a division bench of a high court.
About the issuance of identity cards by Nadra, he said the EC had directed the Nadra chairman to submit weekly progress reports about the issuance of identity cards.
Justice Irshad dismissed the reports that the election results would be first communicated to the GHQ and after approval, would be sent to the Election Commission. He said under the polling scheme, the presiding officer of every polling station had to provide carbon copy of the election result to the polling agents of every contesting candidate.
