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Summary The ECP has said he would summon representatives of secret agencies to end their role in elections.
Chief Election Commissioner, Justice (retd) Fakhruddin G. Ebrahim said on Thursday that the commission would ensure free-and-fair elections and would call in army if there was a need.Talking to media after a meeting with representatives of the political parties, Ebrahim asserted that there would be no compromise on holding free and fair general elections in the country.“If there is a need to call in army to ensure fee and fair elections, we will do that,” he said. Holding fair elections in the country is the main agenda of the commission, he added.The CEC said that political parties have given some good suggestions on holding of the elections, adding Balochistan needs special attention.Replying a query secret agencies’ meddling in the election, the CEC said he would also summon the representatives of the secret agencies. “I will tell them, it is your country as well,” he added.He called on youth to come forward and bring about a change. The Election Commissioner said that the political parties had given some positive suggestions with some of them asking for increase in Balochistan’s share of National Assembly seats.Earlier, the ECP held a consultative meeting with leading political parties of the country with reference to the next general elections.Secretary ECP briefed the meeting, attended by all major political parties, about the steps taken by the Commission regarding voter registration and suggested to increase one National Assembly seat in every district of Balochistan.The EC Secretary Ishtiaq Ahmad Khan said that there was a proposal to increase National Assembly seats for Balochistan from fourteen to thirty. He said that members with dual nationality can’t sit in parliament and they would not be allowed to contest elections.
