Major political parties have expressed concern over the latest order of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) that only women polling agents will be allowed at female polling stations across the country.
"The latest order is an explicable departure from the past practice and aimed at leaving female polling stations entirely at the mercy of official polling staff without necessary oversight by the representatives of political parties." — PPP secretary general Farhatullah Khan Babar
When contacted, spokesmen for the PML-N and the PTI also expressed the same viewpoint that it was not the proper time for the ECP to issue orders having direct impact on the voting process.
To find out what the ECP spokesperson Chaudhry Nadeem Qasim had to say regarding the order, click here.
