Islamabad: As the country prepares for the February 8 general election، The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) is considering the appointment of “ ” to — officials from various departments, including the federal judiciary, Provincial governments and their own officers will serve as — District Returning Officers (DROs) and Returning Officers (ROs), The News reported on Thursday.
The publication reports that no formal decision has been made in this regard but there is a strong possibility that the ECP will use a mix of officers.
“ The Election Commission has no choice but to include officers from various departments. Already, the provincial election commissioner is in the process of finalizing the lists of officers for the pool job, a senior ECP official told The News، In addition to the Central Secretariat, ” reported to The News.
The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, recalled that the judiciary had refused to save officers for election duty for various reasons، They also had a load of pending cases. However, he added that one of the smaller provincial high courts had agreed to deploy officers for this purpose.
On one question, he said about 1,000 DROs and ROs would be included in the nationwide election duty.
“ The Election Commission, which is already in electoral mode, will ensure that well-known officers are free، The important task to be assigned to contribute to the goal of fair and transparent elections, ” it maintained.
The National Judicial Policy Making Committee (NJPMC) decided in 2009 to suspend the appointment of judicial officers for electoral duties، Because he had dragged “judiary into political controversy.
Sections 50 and 51 of the Election Act, 2017 authorize the ECP to appoint DROs, ROs and Assistant Returning Officers (AROs): “ for assembly selection، The Commission shall, in due course، Appoint a District Returning Officer for each district or a specific area — (a) of its own officers subject to availability; (B) by selection from the list of officers provided by the Government or the Provincial Government; or (c) in consultation with the Chief Justice of the concerned High Court…”
Similarly, the Commission, in a prescribed manner, its officers or officers of any government or corporations, of any independent or semi-autonomous body controlled by any government، Will appoint, or in consultation with the Chief Justice of the relevant High Court, a Returning Officer for each constituency, from the subordinate judiciary. (2) A person shall not be appointed as a Returning Officer for more than one constituency, except in exceptional circumstances, for reasons to be recorded.
The Commission, Section 51, states that, in a prescribed manner, any government, or corporations, among its own officers or officers of independent or semi-autonomous bodies، Assistant Returning Officers may be required to appoint under the control of any Government.
