Secretary ECP admits irregularities in local body elections
ECP followed SC's orders, a schedule given by ECP would have helped avoid errors, says Babar Yaqoob
ISLAMABAD: (Dunya News) – Secretary Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) Babar Yaqoob has on Monday admitted the irregularities in the local body (LB) elections. He said that the ECP had to follow the deadline given by Supreme Court (SC), otherwise a schedule given by ECP would have helped avoid the errors, reported Dunya News.
Babar Yaqoob told the Standing Committee for Election Affairs that the arrangements in the local body elections were not up to the mark. “Candidates’ brothers were nominated as Presiding Officers but we didn’t know”, Secretary ECP revealed.
Secretary ECP added that the government did not focus on improving the capacity of the ECP. He said that the district officers do not even have petrol to run the cars.
ECP officials maintained that the courts shouldn’t have the authority to intervene after the release of election schedule. He said that Supreme Court’s intervention created problems for the ECP.
Differing from the ECP officials, Sheikh Aftab said that the commission needs reforms.
