ISLAMABAD, Jan 24: The government on Thursday questioned the legality of a notification issued by the Election Commission of Pakistan placing a ban on recruitments and diversion of  development funds, official sources told Dawn.

The reservations on the ECP notification were conveyed during a meeting between an official delegation and Chief Election Commissioner Justice (retd) Fakhruddin G. Ebrahim. Federal Minister for Law and Justice Farooq H. Naek and Minister for Religious Affairs Syed Khurshid Shah were part of the delegation.

The government team was of the view that the ECP decision was not covered under Article 218(3) of the Constitution. A participant of the meeting quoted Mr Naek as having told the ECP members that the commission could use such powers only after the announcement of election schedule.—Staff Reporter