ECP appoints Special Adviser on Elections

ISLAMABAD: Without dropping any specific hint about when the schedule of general elections, the Election Commission of Pakistan created a new post and appointed for the first time a Special Adviser on Elections (SAE).

“Yes, Dr Syed Asif Hussain, a retired government servant, who has vast experience in development planning, has been inducted in the Election Commission of Pakistan as SAE,” sources in the electoral body confirmed. Justifying his appointment, they explained Dr Asif, who formally assumed his charge in grade-22 today (Monday), has PhD from the USA and has done Post Doctoral Advanced Management Courses from the United States and the Netherlands.

Meanwhile, the Election Commission again, through a notification, said the caretaker governments shall not attempt to influence the elections or do or cause to be done anything which may in any manner influence or adversely affect the free and fair polls. However, the electoral body said the caretaker governments could take actions or decisions regarding existing bilateral or multilateral agreements.

“In continuation of this commission’s notification… dated January 22, 2023, the Election Commission of Pakistan hereby adds the following points in the said notification as indicated; the caretaker governments shall not attempt to influence the elections or do or cause to be done anything which may in any manner influence or adversely affect the free and fair elections,” the notification said. The ECP said, “The caretaker governments, being non-political entities, can take actions or decisions regarding existing bilateral or multi-lateral agreements or the projects already initiated under the Public-Private Partnership Authority, 2017, the Inter-Governmental Commercial Transactions Act, 2022 and the Privatisation Commission Ordinance, 2000 under information to this commission”.

In a related development, it was learnt, as per its schedule, the Election Commission notified five delimitation committees for the four provinces and the Islamabad Capital Territory aimed at redrawing boundaries for upcoming general elections. But surprisingly, this information was not made public till the filing of this report.

The Election Commission announced last week that delimitation of constituencies of the National Assembly and four provincial legislatures would be carried out afresh in view of the notification of the digital census, 2023. It emphasized the nationwide exercise would be conducted as per Article 51 of the Constitution and Section 17(2) of the Elections Act, 2017, which envisages the Commission shall delimit constituencies after every census officially published, of the Elections Act, 2017.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leads those political parties, which have disputed the new census notification and the commission’s decision to carry out fresh delimitations for which the delimitation committees will receive districts’ maps and necessary data from the federal capital and provinces until August 31. Likewise, from September 1 the commission will begin the four days of training of the team while the delimitation of constituencies will be completed from September 7 to 8, and it will issue the details of the delimitation of constituencies on October 9. Afterwards, it will receive the applications of objections and recommendations which would be heard by the commission between October 10 to December 9. The entire exercise will be completed on December 14 and delimitations published.

Also, the Election Commission formed a high-level oversight committee to ensure all the related material and data are received for the delimitation of constituencies on time. The oversight committee will be headed by the Special Secretary of the Election Commission. In this connection, the ECP secretary Omar Hamid Khan presided over a meeting here at the Election Commission Secretariat to review preparations for the general elections. The meeting was attended by the Special Secretary, DG Law, Provincial Election Commissioners and other senior officers.

The Special secretary and provincial election commissioners briefed the secretary Election Commission on the arrangements. The ECP secretary expressed satisfaction over the arrangements and ordered that all the wings in charge and provincial election commissioners should ensure immediate completion of all arrangements, contact the relevant institutions and ensure the availability of necessary election materials.

He directed the Provincial Election Commissioners and Additional Director General (Elections) Islamabad to ensure that they received the necessary maps and other data from the provincial governments and statistics department on time. In this regard, the Election Commission has constituted a high-level oversight committee under the chairmanship of the Special Secretary Election Commission to ensure the timely and satisfactory completion of all the related issues.