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ISLAMABAD: The members of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) decided on Monday not to submit their resignations under pressure from opposition parties of the country.
The matter was discussed at length in a meeting held today at the ECP head office in Islamabad.
The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) has filed a reference in the Supreme Judicial Council under Article 209 of the Constitution of Pakistan, which is the relevant forum for deciding such matters.
Read: PTI to hold sit-in on October 4 if ECP members do not resign: Imran
In light of the reference filed, the members of the ECP have decided not to take any decision regarding the demands of the opposition and will await a decision by the competent authority.
Last week, PTI chairman Imran Khan had announced to hold a sit-in in front of ECP in Islamabad if its members do not tender their resignations by October 4.
Imran Khan, who was addressing a public gathering after chairing a party meeting in Lahore, said “there was no justification for the ECP members to hold their posts after 21 political parties had claimed that rigging took place during the 2013 elections".
Imran announced his latest decision to hold another sit-in after he had warned all members of the ECP to transparently answer the questions he raised or he will take to the streets once again.
Earlier in August, while addressing a press conference, Imran Khan had said that the ECP provincial officials have no legal or moral standing left and they should immediately resign.
He had also stated that the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) chairman should also tender his resignation as he was part of covering-up the rigging that took place in the general elections of 2013.
Also read: ECP provincial officials have no moral standing left and should resign: Imran
The ECP on August 22 had de-notified National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq after receiving a copy of the decision announced by Punjab election commission's tribunal.
Imran, earlier in July had accepted the judicial commission's report, which was constituted to probe alleged rigging during the general elections of 2013.
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Comments (43) Closed
Aug 31, 2015 10:28pm
They should act on the laid-down procedures and in protecting honor of their positions, irrespective of exploitation by the unscrupulous.
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Aug 31, 2015 10:38pm
In a country where the concept of shame no longer exists what would you expect? As far as following procedures goes there is little honour when procedure becomes a tool for defending and protecting the corrupt with total disregard for the substance which was supposed to underpin the so called process... If nothing else sheer incompetence should be sufficient reason for these folks to go.
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Aug 31, 2015 10:39pm
No one wants to give up the salary and perks; specially when they don't have to do any work!!!! Useless ECP at a high cost to the public tax money.
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Aug 31, 2015 10:39pm
@M.Saeed Is there any honour left for ECP after all the decisions of Election Tribunal?
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Aug 31, 2015 10:45pm
Since they are controversial, for the sake this country they should have stepped down keeping their dignity.
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Aug 31, 2015 10:49pm
@Saeefar Only honorable people have sense of shame when they fall short of expectations in doing an honest job. I do not consider ECP members honorable people.
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Aug 31, 2015 10:58pm
When the trust has been lost in the position of EC Members by a majority of stakeholders, they are bound by their moral obligations to disassociate from Election Commission and tender their resignations voluntarily.
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Aug 31, 2015 11:08pm
Who has ever resigned in our country on moral ground ? These ECP members draw fat salaries, enjoy all the perks why should they step aside. Besides, they perfectly suite Nawaz's government.
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Aug 31, 2015 11:09pm
Good decision, no one should be allowed or encouraged to hijack any department or country and must be tried under article 6 for the crime they have already committed. By the way who is imran and PTI to charge anyone when they don't have any evidence just only because they use abusive language, actually they should be ashamed of themselves, "kuch Sharam karo haya karo".
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Aug 31, 2015 11:10pm
ECP was not controversial or dishonest at all. It was incompetent or incapable of complying with all the procedural requirement to which Judicial Commission pointed out. Similarly Nadra does not have any authentic method to verify the votes on the basis of finger prints and the same was experienced in Haripur election. Knowing this and constantly accusing that election was rigged is IK's political slogan to show his presence in the game. All the bye elections and reelections in all the provinces confirm this. Even the Election Tribunal judgement does not state any rigging in the elections and that is the reason that it has not disqualified any of PMLn members from contesting in the elections.
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Aug 31, 2015 11:21pm
Need an operation against them also under NAP..
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Aug 31, 2015 11:42pm
The further they delay it, the less likelihood of their preserving what they conceive of as their honour. They should not have waited this long after finding all the "irregularities" in the election. It seems there is more interest in shifting the blame then maintaining accountability.
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Aug 31, 2015 11:44pm
"ECP members decide not to resign"
Excellent decision. Why should they? Bunch of hooligans can't just stand up and start demanding resignations of government officials.
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Aug 31, 2015 11:44pm
Sack them
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Aug 31, 2015 11:47pm
Disgraceful
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Aug 31, 2015 11:48pm
It's not a surprise since most of the politicians and bureaucrats in our country have no self respect at all.
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Aug 31, 2015 11:55pm
The only way to get rid of corrupt and incompetent EC members is through dharnas, and nothing else. We should hold dharnas in every city and town, and not just in Islamabad. This is the only language PML-N and its corrupt cronies understand.
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Sep 01, 2015 12:21am
General Raheel Shareef should take over the job to conduct fair elections, as every one knows ECP was involved in rigging.
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Sep 01, 2015 12:36am
ECP provincial officials and the NADRA chairman have no legal or moral standing left and they should immediately resign. The People will come out on streets if the government refuses legitimate demands of the public.
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Sep 01, 2015 01:04am
Two points:
A person who does not do his job honestly is also corrupt. He does not have to get bribes to be considered corrupt.
A manager who cannot make his subordinates do the jobs assigned has no right to say that he is doing his job honestly.
There is no shame of taking the responsibility in such a situation and step down. Good leaders, in business, in sports, in politics, pretty much in all fields, do it all the time.
It is a good precedence, not a bad one, IMO.
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Sep 01, 2015 01:07am
@Azhar Malik Humm, if you are a manager, would you give jobs to incompetent poeple saying that they are incompetent but not corrupt?
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Sep 01, 2015 01:09am
If every one has to resign because a political leader thinks he knows it all - then let us remove the courts and start deciding based on Dharna - what JC and all the tribunals are pointing to is the fact that our election machinery is not able to comply with laid down rules based on the existing system - for example all ROs, and Presiding officers get two days training and then they have to do the job - there are no permanent positions...IK because is always fond of brawn versus brain keeps on harping this - why did he accept election results in KPK when tribunals have resulted in different results there - why did he let the same ECP run LB elections in KPK? How has any judgement so far proven that the ECP was systematically forcing the results in favor of PML N - had PTI not taken a stay order in Haripur? Did the independent candidate in 154 pay off ECP as PML N was 3rd there?
IK is making a fool of many - and unfortunately there are many who are ready for being fools again
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Sep 01, 2015 01:10am
People opinions may vary depending on their affiliation of a party. However, all Pakistanis should be united on the impartial ECP. Apparently, something went wrong and multiple candidates were disqualified based on Imran Khan's protest. If these ECP members were good, they should have launched the investigation own their own. These guys are dirty and we deserve better.
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Sep 01, 2015 01:23am
Bravo ECP.
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Sep 01, 2015 01:30am
Good decision. Had they resigned they would have set a dangerous precedent that any mob can allege wrong doing and pressurize/ blackmail ECP members to resign in the future.
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Sep 01, 2015 01:42am
@M.Saeed - Even if they are culpable of gross mismanagement and election irregularities after JC decision and decisions of Election Tribunal?
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Sep 01, 2015 01:48am
All members of ECP should work within law and act accordingly. I believe they are government officials and citizens of Pakistan. Anyone who feels that any ECP member
or members have been involved in rigging or corruption in the election process should follow the law and file a grievance with appropriate authorities. Let the law take its own course and if anyone found guilty should be dealt with the fullest extent of law.
However, ECP members should not resign because an opposition leader thinks that they are corrupt. Thinking and proving are two different things. Basic Principle of Law is: "YOU ARE INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY."
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Sep 01, 2015 02:12am
Shouldn't they be fired for incompetence?
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Sep 01, 2015 02:17am
@Azhar Malik very funny! Should incompetent people should kept in shy important positions? And why incompetence of ECP always help PMLN not other parties?
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Sep 01, 2015 02:40am
They are used as tools of criminals of stealing and diverting public mandate which cause to designate corrupt and incompetent people to decide s country's future for five years continuously.
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Sep 01, 2015 02:45am
Its an ethical question. People with self respect, dignity and honor resign if the controversy arises due to their actions. But unfortunately, we have more people who have no sense honor and dignity. We have become thick skinned with no shame left in us. That goes all the way to the top from PM to all the way down at the lowest level. Its the greed of one or the other in us that has made us the way we are.
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Sep 01, 2015 03:22am
An honourable thing would be to quit their high office because the honourable members have now become controversial.
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Sep 01, 2015 03:35am
@waheed send the Rangers after them.
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Sep 01, 2015 04:03am
So their Egos are larger than the importance of ability to hold free and fair election.
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Sep 01, 2015 04:58am
They should resign please when incapable of doing their job. Let other who deserves to takeover the positions.
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Sep 01, 2015 05:06am
Shameless stance but one not entirely unexpected from ECP members
About time corrupt and incompetent people in various organisations were held accountable for their actions and fired from their jobs
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Sep 01, 2015 05:08am
Say no to blackmail of PTI. Well done ECP.
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Sep 01, 2015 06:23am
Excellent decision,otherwise it will set wrong precedent. Any political leader after losing elections will start to ask for resignation of constitutional institutions. IK unfortunately is setting wrong trends in country.
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Sep 01, 2015 06:51am
Imran is so wrong... ECP members are the most honest professionals. Even the prime minister said in Parliament that elections in Pakistan are fair and correct but Imran wants to destabilize the pakistan and nothing else I think people are smart nowadays and he will flop. Pakistan only need Sharifs and Zardari or bilawal perhaps Maulana too.
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Sep 01, 2015 08:38am
naturally they wont resign.......!
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Sep 01, 2015 08:58am
will resign soon inshallah
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Sep 01, 2015 09:27am
Good decision which is actually in the interest of the state. Now ensure that ECP plugs the loop holes in the polling system.
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Sep 01, 2015 09:35am
ECP has been the most incompetent institution in Pakistan, always looking to others for the tasks it is supposed to carry out (the EU report on 2013 general elections says even for issuing cards to observers, journalists etc. ECP borrowed staff from an NGO!). Old and retired judges cannot run it. They are not administrators.
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