Chief Election Commissioner Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar said on Wednesday the interference of the government functionaries would not be tolerated in the Local Government (LG) election.
"Two sitting ministers, Rao Sikandar Iqbal and Mushtaq Cheema have already been issued notices by the Returning Officers (ROs) for their alleged interference in the upcoming Local Bodies (LBs) election and breach of the code of conduct," he said while addressing a news conference at the Election Commission.
The CEC said all the ROs had been directed and given full powers to take notice of any interference in the election. They were empowered to take notice of even the Prime Minister and the President interference, he added.
Dogar said the Election Commission would welcome and provide security protection to the foreign observers from Commonwealth, Organisation of Islamic Countries (OIC) and European countries during their visit to the polling stations to monitor the election process. It was encouraging that some observers of the commonwealth had already arrived in the country for the purpose, he added.
Dogar said the authorities in Rawalpindi were directed to remove all the election campaign hoardings, which were installed by or on the behalf of the federal minister for information.
To a question, the CEC dispelled the impression created by the Opposition that United States envoy had called on him to inquire about the allegations of pre-poll rigging and said it was a routine visit and the Ambassador was briefed about the electoral process.
He said the Election Commission was taking action on all complaints and termed the opposition's allegations a bias and baseless, adding immediate actions were ordered on the complaints regarding pre-poll rigging, kidnapping of candidates, posting/transfers of officials and use of authority by the ministers.
"The LB elections were being held on non-party basis and measures were taken to ensure that the platform of any political, religious, regional party or flag were not used by the contestants in the campaign," he maintained.
Dogar said on the request of Pakistan Peoples Party, Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal and Awami National Party, the candidates were not issued election symbols of major political parties.
He said a cell was established in the Election Commission to take immediate action on complaints whereas the chief secretaries and provincial police officials had also been directed to take immediate action on any complain regarding LG election.
The Election Commission, he said had taken notice of the behaviour of police in Sindh and use of public resources and positions by some ministers.
The Election Commission had also taken strong exception of some reports appearing in the Press that some notables and prominent leaders had unanimously pledged not to allow their women folk to participate in the LG election, both as candidates and as voters in some districts of the NWFP," he said.
He said timely action by the Election Commission had encouraged a large number of the women candidates to file their nomination papers across the country.
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