Chief Election Commissioner of Pakistan (CEC) Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar has directed that the District Returning Officers (DROs) must ensure secrecy of the ballot to reflect impartiality and transparency in the forthcoming conduct of the Local Government Elections 2005.
While presiding over a high-level meeting, held here on Thursday, to review the arrangements made for conduct of the election 2005, the CEC advised the DROs to ensure secrecy of the ballot at all cost. After the polling the ballot boxes must be kept in safe custody and counting must immediately be held to announce the result to the parties or agents of the parties so that transparency and fairness in election is ensured.
The Chief Secretary Punjab, Kamran Rasool, while highlighting the arrangements made for the flawless conduct of elections, apprised the meeting that, in all 10 districts including Lahore, Rawalpindi, Sargodha, Multan, Faisalabad, Dera Ghazi Khan, Rajanpur and Bahawalpur, sensitive areas have been identified. In these areas, besides heavy police deployment, army would also be deployed to help the civil administration to avert any untoward incident.
The CEC advised the civil administration to provide all out assistance to DROs for the provisions of logistical support and to ensure flawless co-ordination with the District Police Officers and other law enforcing agencies.
The meeting was also attended by Inspector General of Police, Punjab, District Returning Officers from all the districts of Punjab and high-ranking officials.