The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) seems to be going overboard in its enthusiasm to establish impartiality. Relying mostly on media reports it has been issuing directives that have the potential of creating rather than resolving problems. In its latest move, the election authority has ordered the Punjab government to withdraw additional security provided to the PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif and his brother, former Punjab chief minister Shahbaz Sharif. The order, it seems, has come in response to media criticism that the Sharif brothers are being extended a bloated security detail comprising 761 police guards and 60 luxury vehicles.
That surely is extraordinary security; but then these are extraordinary times. A grave security threat looms so large over the elections that the PPP, the ANP and MQM are keeping their campaigns as low-key as possible. Still, holding good on its threat the TTP has assassinated a MQM candidate from Hyderabad. A few days ago, caretaker Interior Minister Malik Habib had warned that top leaders, including Nawaz Sharif face a serious death threat. The Punjab caretaker Chief Minister, Najam Sethi, has also been saying his major concern is ensuring political leaders' security. It is always better to err on the side of safety than recklessness.
The ECP has also been telling the Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governments to undertake a radical shake-up of provincial bureaucracy. The underlying concern in this case is understandable, considering that it is customary for governments to appoint civil service officials to top management and policing positions on the basis of loyalty rather than considerations of public service delivery. To ensure neutrality the ECP is expected to ask for transfers and postings at senior levels. However, wholesale transfers being demanded in some cases will only create chaos. Maintaining a sense of balance is imperative. There is need as well to avoid contentious directives such as the one that has gone out to the Petroleum Minister for the removal of managing directors of the two gas companies, SNGPL and SSGPL - appointed by the outgoing PPP government - to prevent them from influencing the elections through gas development schemes.
Ordering the removal of utilities heads who were appointed through proper process i.e. by the Board of Directors as provided in corporate law and are yet to complete their stipulated terms (three years) in office, falls outside the ECP's prerogative as long as they make no interference in its work. Without creating any controversy the election authority can address the concerns of the complainants who approached it, saying gas development schemes were a major factor in winning elections, and that former prime minister Raja Pervez Ashraf had directed these officials to launch such schemes worth Rs 46 billion in the constituencies of influential member of his party, the PPP. The ECP should simply order stoppage of work on all such schemes. Further, ECP needs to investigate and question those against whom complaints are received. It is unfair to remove good or bad officers in the absence of due process.