Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry has directed Secretary Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) take urgent, concrete and specific measures in co-ordination with all the concerned authorities of the Federal and the Provincial Governments to resolve the problems faced by District Returning Officers (DROs), Returning Officers (ROs) and Assistant Returning Officers (AROs) pertaining to perform their duties efficiently, pointed out in the reports of high courts registrars. He further directed the secretary to submit report of the steps taken by him.
The registrars of High Courts have submitted their responses to the chief justice regarding the problems faced by DROs, ROs and AROs pertaining to perform their duties efficiently. According to a press release issued here on Thursday, the registrars of High Courts of Lahore, Sindh, Peshawar and Balochistan submitted their replies to the Supreme Court of Pakistan.
The replies were made by the High Courts as per the directions by the CJP in his letter written to them on April 02. The CJP in his letter directed the Registrars of the High Courts to get feedback from the DROs, ROs and AROs within their jurisdiction with respect to any problem being faced by them and to submit report so as to ensure credibility and transparency of the electoral process.
As per their replies, the registrar Lahore High Court (LHC) stated that they were facing inefficient complementary staff, load shedding and non-availability of IT facility in some districts. LHC registrar also stated that there is also lack of logistic support, inadequate communication by the election authorities and lack of coordination by the executive authorities with DROs, ROs and AROs.
According the reply of Sindh High Court (SHC), Karachi some of the DROs, ROs and AROs complained about non-supply of comprehensive voters' lists, funds, stationary, transport facilities, non-co-operation or delay in furnishing reports by the FBR and NAB. The reply by the Registrar, Peshawar High Court pointed out the slow internet speed and frequent load-shedding.
The problems also include non-provisions of vehicles to the polling staff, un-satisfactory security arrangements around the offices and court, selection of monitoring team by the election commission etc. In its reply, the Registrar High Court of Balochistan stated that the problems faced by the election staff include law and order situation, transport facility and non-provision of stationery by the Election authorities etc.
On the receipt of the response from all High Courts, the CJP observed that the aforesaid issues and problems were of serious nature. The CJP, therefore, directed secretary ECP to take urgent concrete and specific measures in co-ordination with all the concerned authorities of the Federal and the Provincial Governments. He further directed him to submit report of the steps taken by him.-PR