September 26, 2002	Thursday	Rajab 18, 1423

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ISLAMABAD, Sept 25: The Election Commission of Pakistan has called a meeting of key officials of police and administration of all the four provinces and the federal government on Oct 2, with a view to finalizing security arrangements on the polling day.

The meeting will be attended by the federal interior secretary, provincial chief secretaries, home secretaries, secretary ministry of state and frontier region, inspectors general of police of the four provinces and the chief commissioner of federal capital, an EC announcement said.

The decision of holding a meeting to ensure maintenance of law and order arrangements on the polling day was taken by the commission, here on Wednesday.

The commission, which met under the chairmanship of CEC Irshad Hassan Khan, also disposed off a number of issues pertaining to election.

On an application filed by Pakistan Muslim League (N) Chairman Raja Zafarul Haque, it decided to withdraw party symbol of Tiger earlier allotted to Mr Arshad Javed, a candidate from PS-120 Karachi. The commission allotted Javed another symbol as an independent candidate.

The commission also directed Mr Haifzullah Ishaq, a candidate from NA-93 Toba Tek Singh-II, to file reply to the comments submitted by Toba Tek Singh district Nazim on former’s complaint.

Ishaq had earlier filed a complaint against T.T. Singh district Nazim for misusing state resources in the election campaign of his nephew.

The commission had also received similar complaint against Jhang district Nazim on which it had sought comments of the chief secretary. The commission, after perusing the comments of the chief secretary, referred these to the complainant asking him to submit a reply.

The commission withdrew symbols allotted to six political parties for their failure to comply with the requirements of the election laws.

Among these were: The Pakistan Awami Quwwat Party (Brush); The Pakistan Brohi Party (Ghulail), the Pakistan Jamhoori Aman Party (Scissors), the Pakistan Progressive Party (Well) and Tehreek-i-Wafaq Party (Whistle).

The EC also decided to change the election symbol of Tariq Hashmi, who was earlier allotted symbol of the National Alliance. The election symbol of Hashmi has been changed on a request filed by National Alliance Chairman Ghulam Mustafa Jatoi.