ECP bans transfers, hiring, uplift schemes

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has directed all federal ministries/divisions and provincial and local governments for slapping a ban on recruitment, transfer and posting of public officials and execution/announcing of development schemes.

According to ECP directives, the caretaker prime minister or ministers or any other members of caretaker governments shall within three days from the date of assuming office submit to the commission a statement of assets and liabilities including assets and liabilities of spouses and dependent children as on the preceding 30th day of June on Form B. The directives sent to all ministries/divisions, provincial and local governments on August 15, 2023 state that in exercise of power conferred under Article 218 (3) of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan as well as Section 4, 5, 8© read with Section 230 of the Election Act 2017 and as supported by the Workers’ Party Case versus Federation of Pakistan and all other powers enabling it on this behalf, the Election Commission of Pakistan is bound to ensure transparent elections and provide a level-playing field for all contesting candidates and political parties. The ECP has directed the caretaker governments to assist the commission in holding elections in accordance with the law as provided under Section 230 (1) (b) of the Election Act, to ensure the compliance of all notifications, directives and provisions as laid down in Section 230 of the Act and not post or transfer any public officials after the issuance of this notification under the federal government and the provincial governments without prior approval in writing of the commission as laid down in Clause 2 (f) of Section 230 of the Election Act 2017, to ensure that all kinds of recruitments in any ministry, divisions, department or institution under federal, provincial and local governments are banned with immediate effect, except the recruitments by the Federal and Provincial Public Service Commissions and those government organizations where test/interviews have already been conducted before this day.

The directives further stated that the ministries/divisions and departments as well as provincial governments not announce/execute any kind of development schemes at federal and provincial levels except those ongoing and approved before the issuance of this notification. Moreover, federal, provincial and local governments shall not issue tenders for any development schemes till the culmination of general elections, except with the prior approval of the commission. All development funds relating to local government institutions in the provinces and Cantonment Boards for new schemes throughout the country shall stand frozen after the announcement of the election schedule with immediate effect till the announcement of results of the general elections.

The ECP instructed to ensure immediate termination of services of all heads of institutions appointed on political basis and to send all such cases to the commission for approval of termination or otherwise to ensure vacation of government residential facilities from ex-prime minister, ex-chief ministers and their advisors, ex-federal and provincial ministers and ex-members of national and provincial assemblies of Sindh and Balochistan, besides ensuring withdrawal of official vehicles from them. Furthermore, the dignitaries shall be provided security/protocol as per their entitlement and any extra deployment of security will be withdrawn from them forthwith. The caretaker governments will perform their functions and attend day-to-day matters which are necessary to run the affairs of the federation and provinces in accordance with the law.

The caretaker governments will not attempt to influence elections and will work as non-political entities. They can take actions or decisions regarding existing bilateral or multilateral agreements or the projects already selected under the Pubic Private Partnership (PPP) Authority Act 2017 (VIII of 2017), the Inter-Governmental Commercial Transactions Act, 2022 (XXX of 2022) and the Privatization Commission Ordinance, 2000 (LII of 2000) under intimation to this commission.