ISLAMABAD: In yet another attempt to ensure conduct of the upcoming general elections in a free and fair manner, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Wednesday placed a ban on launch of new development schemes, besides barring recruitment in all federal, provincial and local governments.

An order passed by the ECP has sought to immediately halt work on all development schemes approved on or after April 1, including but not restricted to gas and water supply schemes and construction and carpeting of roads.

Keeping in view past practices, the commission has also banned transfer of previously allocated development funds to other heads. An ECP official told Dawn that letters to this effect had been sent to all ministries and relevant departments.

Commission has received lists of judicial officers for appointment as DROs and ROs

He said a complete ban had also been placed on recruitment in the federal, provincial and local governments with effect from April 1. The order will, however, not affect the ongoing recruitments being made through the Federal Public Service Commission or the Provincial Public Service Commission.

Earlier, on April 2, the ECP had barred public office-holders from using public money to promote themselves ahead of the elections.

The ECP had sent to the provincial chief secretaries letters pointing out that the commission was busy with preparations for the upcoming elections and various stakeholders had reported that several public officeholders, including ministers, members of the national and provincial assemblies and party leaders, were announcing development schemes and fixing inaugural plaques under their names to woo voters ahead of the general elections.

“Understandably development schemes such as hospitals, schools, roads, tube wells, etc, are executed through public money, therefore self-projection through public exchequer is by no means acceptable,” the letter said.

Another senior official of the ECP said it was the commission’s constitutional mandate to conduct free and fair polls and check corrupt practices. He said Article 218 (3) of the Constitution reads: “It shall be the duty of the Election Commission ….to organise and conduct the election and to make such arrangements as are necessary to ensure that the election is conducted honestly, justly, fairly and in accordance with law, and that corrupt practices are guarded against.”

He said the ECP had observed in the past that development schemes and recruitments were often used as a tool to attract voters a few months before the polls. The official said that since it was only possible for lawmakers from the ruling party at the Centre and in the provinces to dole out these favours, other politicians in the electoral race did not get a level-playing field.

He agreed that in the past the standard practice had been to ban development schemes and recruitments after the election schedule was announced, however, the ECP had announced the bar earlier this year, in the interest of fairness.

Separately, the ECP has also received lists of judicial officers from all high courts for appointment as district returning officers (DROs) and returning officers (ROs).

The ECP had only recently sent letters to registrars of the high courts, seeking names of judicial officers for appointment as returning officers. A prompt response from the high courts usually means that the judiciary has no qualms over sparing judicial officers for appointment as DROs or ROs. Interestingly, the role of the ROs drawn from the judiciary in the 2013 general polls had not only been criticised by political parties, but also found mention in a post-election review report published by the ECP.

Published in Dawn, April 12th, 2018