ISLAMABAD: Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has directed the caretaker governments at the centre and in the provinces to provide level playing field and equal opportunity to all political parties without any discrimination as enshrined in the Constitution and election laws, against the backdrop of concerns raised by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) over lack of level playing field for it in the wake of upcoming general polls.

“A mainstream political party has expressed its reservations to this commission that respective caretaker governments are not providing level playing field to them and due to this fact their campaign to engage their voters and supporters is adversely affected.

To this end, they have approached this commission to ensure that level playing field and equal opportunity to all political parties without any discrimination be provided by the caretaker governments for their campaign to engage their voters and supporters, reads a letter sent by the ECP to principal secretary to the caretaker prime minister and chief secretaries of the provinces.

Sequel to the above, it merits a mention here that it has been enunciated in Section 230(1)(d) of the Elections Act 2017 that the caretaker governments shall be impartial to every person and political party.

Therefore, it has been directed by the honarable commission to provide level playing field and equal opportunity to all political parties without any discrimination as enshrined in the Constitution and election laws, it adds.

Recently, a PTI delegation called on Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja and conveyed to him their concerns over denial of level playing field. The CEC had assured the PTI delegates that their concerns would be addressed.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023