IT has been learnt that the recent elections were the most expensive — with a budget of Rs4 billion — in the history of Pakistan.

Here I would like to bring to the notice of the Chief Election Commissioner the ordeal of my younger brother and the team working with him who had been made hostage for two days and two nights after receiving orders by the ECP to serve as polling officers.

To be brief, my brother, who is an AVP and operations manager at a local bank and is doing his PhD in Finance, got orders on May 10 just after Friday prayers to report to the polling station in the DHA, Karachi.

According to orders, he reported at the polling station just after Friday prayers. Since then it was as if he had been made hostage there. They had been made to work day and night without any food, water, etc. He had his dinner from his own pocket on the night May 10.

They were made to suffer without anything: no food, no water, no sleep and no heed. Being a citizen and elder brother to him, I would like to request the ECP chief to take notice of this and call for an inquiry.

M. FAYYAZ KIRMANI
Karachi