Pak: Election Commission asks Sindh govt to withdraw perks, privileges of former ministers

Islamabad [Pakistan], October 6 (ANI): The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), in a letter to the Sindh government, asked the Balochistan chief secretary to immediately reshuffle the additional chief secretary and three other senior officials of the province, The News International reported.

ECP secretary Omar Hamid Khan sought to draw the attention of Sindh Chief Secretary Muhammad Fakhre Alam and inspector general of Police Riffat Mukhtar, to the violations involving ex-provincial ministers and government officials.

The commission in its letter asked the Sindh chief secretary and IGP to withdraw protocol security, perks and privileges from former provincial cabinet ministers and political appointees and further send a notice within three days.

This matter should be treated as most urgent, it added, according to The News International.

According to the letter, the ECP got to know that former provincial cabinet members and political appointees of equivalent status are continuing to use protocol/security and privileges accorded to them by virtue of their former offices, The News International reported.

As per the guidelines, “To ensure the vacation of government residential facilities from ex-prime minister, ex-chief chief ministers and their advisers, ex-federal, ex-provincial ministers and ex-members of national and provincial assemblies of Sindh and Balochistan, besides ensuring the withdrawal of official vehicles from them.”

The ECP in its letter stated, “As you are aware the Election Commission of Pakistan is charged with the constitutional duty to organise and conduct elections in terms of Article 218 of the Constitution of Islamic Republic Pakistan and to make such arrangements as are necessary to ensure that the election is conducted honestly, justly, fairly and in accordance with the law and that the corrupt practices are guarded against.”

The ECP wrote, “Therefore, it has been desired that the following senior officers be immediately reshuffled: Additional Chief Secretary (Development) Balochistan, Secretary Services and General Administration Department Balochistan, Home Secretary Balochistan and Finance Secretary Balochistan.”

Earlier, the ECP released the provisional report on the delimitation of constituencies based on the recently concluded census, Dawn reported.

Last month, the Election Commission of Pakistan announced that the elections will take place next year in the last week of January, according to Dawn.

Notably, the PML-N-led Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) government dissolved the National Assembly on August 9.