Sindh EC approaches ECP for deployment of army, Rangers

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission, Sindh, on Monday formally approached the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for the services of the army and Rangers for the by-polls in NA-246.
Sindh Provincial Commissioner Tanvir Zaki wrote a letter to the Chief Election Commissioner Justice (Retd) Sardar Muhammad Raza Khan, urging for acquiring the services of the army and Rangers for maintaining peace during the by-election in Karachi’s NA-246 constituency.
A war of words between the leaders of Muttahida Qaumi Movement and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and clashes between the activists of the two parties have raised the political temperature, besides giving alarming signals about the possibility of a law and order situation in the NA-246 any time, where the by-poll is fixed for April 23.
According to an ECP official, the chief election commissioner had an informal consultation with the Election Commission members, who supported the idea of the armed forces’ deployment in NA-246.
Meanwhile, the Election Commission of Pakistan has invited the attention of the political parties to the provisions of Section 74 (7) (c) of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Local Government Act 2013 whereby the Political Parties Order 2002 (Chief Executive’s Order No.8 of 2002) has been applied mutatis mutandis to the political parties contesting the local government elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Besides, Rule 22 and 42 of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Local Councils (Conduct of Elections) 2014, which inter-alia provide that the political parties intending to take part in local government elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa scheduled to be held on May 30, 2015 are required to submit to the returning officers, lists of nominated candidates in order of priority for the seats reserved for women, peasants/workers, youth and non-Muslims in the district councils and tehsil/town councils.
Such party-lists may contain as many names of additional candidates as a political party may deem necessary for contesting election to the aforesaid seats reserved in district councils and tehsil/town councils to provide for any disqualification of candidates during scrutiny of nomination papers or filling of any vacant seats during the term of local government institutions.
The Election Commission noted that all such political parties, shall submit respective lists of their candidates in order of priority for seats reserved for women, peasants and workers, non-Muslims and youth in the district and tehsil/town councils with the respective returning officers, which have been appointed in each district/tehsil/town on or before April 19, 2015.