ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Friday directed all the chief secretaries and the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) chairman to ensure the presence of any member of National or provincial assemblies in custody at their designated polling stations for casting their votes on the Senate polling day on March 3 (Wednesday).
According to the ECP order, the chief secretaries of governments of Sindh and Punjab, and the NAB chairman have been directed to ensure the presence of MNAs Ali Wazir, Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif, Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah and PML-N leader Khawaja Muhammad Asif and Punjab MPA Hamza Shehbaz Sharif at their designated polling stations for casting their votes on the polling day.
It added, “It has been informed that Ali Wazir, MNA, Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, MNA, Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah, MNA, Khawaja Muhammad Asif, MNA and Hamza Shehbaz Sharif, MPA are currently in the custody of provincial governments of Sindh and Punjab, and National Accountability Bureau (NAB), respectively.”
The ECP said that it had issued its order while exercising its powers under the Articles of the Constitution as Article 220 of the Constitution read with Section 5 of the Elections Act, 2017, which “provides that it shall be the duty of all executive authorities in the Federation and in the provinces to assist the Chief Election Commissioner and the Election Commission in the discharge of his or their functions”.
It said that the ECP issued a notification to conduct the Senate Elections 2021 on February 11, 2021. “It is the duty of the Election Commission to organise and conduct the election and to make such arrangements as are necessary to ensure that the election is conducted honestly, justly, fairly and in accordance with the law and that corrupt practices are a guard against,” it added.
The commission said that the Supreme Court (SC) vide its judgment report in PLD 2012 SC page-681 in Workers Party Pakistan and others vs. Federation of Pakistan and others and PLD 2014 SC page-72 had held that right of the vote was a fundamental right in terms of Article 17 (2) at the Constitution.
