KARACHI, Dec 7: Pakistan Election Commission Secretary Kanwar Mohammad Dilshad met high officials of the provincial caretaker government and election commission on Friday to review overall preparations and progress for the conduct of free, fair and transparent elections, scheduled for Jan 8, 2008.
Kanwar Dilshad, who was accompanied by Provincial Election Commissioner Qamaruz Zaman Chaudhry, during his meetings with Sindh Chief Secretary Fazlur Rehman and Inspector-General of Police Maj (retd) Ziaul Hasan Khan, asked them to comply with the instructions issued by the election commission to ensure free and fair elections.
The chief secretary said that he had already asked departmental heads, secretaries, district coordination officers and nazims that the ban imposed by the commission on transfers and postings should be strictly followed. He said he had also warned that if any transfer and postings were made after the issuance of the EC’s notification the order be repealed, otherwise, legal action would be taken against them.
Mr Dilshad discussed with Maj (retd) Ziaul Hasan the matters pertaining to law and order and peaceful conduct of the general elections.
Besides, he met district returning officers of Karachi division and senior officers of the provincial election commission, including deputy election commissioners, assistant election commissioners, information technology director, provincial coordinator and database officials, at the conference room of the Sindh Election Commission headquarters. They discussed the steps to remove hurdles, if any, in conduct of free and fair elections.
Mr Dilshad later paid a visit to the Printing Corporation of Pakistan and expressed satisfaction over the arrangements so far made for printing and security of ballot papers.
