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ISLAMABAD The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Wednesday pushed forward its plan to prevent those politicians from contesting upcoming general elections who have not paid their taxes, while it also revived its decision to send the educational degrees of those lawmakers to the Higher Education Commission (HEC) whose transcripts have not been verified as yet.
However, in a move that showed it backtracking from another major decision, the ECP declared the constitutional bodies exempt from ban on recruitments. The ECP already has reversed its stance on the issue of delimitation of Karachi constituencies.
Exempting the constitutional entities from recruitments ban comes on the grounds that the constitutional bodies including the superior courts and federal and provincial ombudsmen are not in the purview of the federal or provincial governments.
Speaking after an ECP meeting, chaired by Chief Election Commissioner Justice (r) Fakh-ruddin G Ebrahim, ECP Secretary Ishtiak Ahmed Khan told the media: We have received 25 references from the federation and provinces for lifting the ban on funds diversion and recruitments, and the funds issue is under consideration. The decision to exempt the constitutional bodies from recruitments ban follows mutual consultation, he added.
Accusing Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf of pre-poll rigging by means of foul play in the funds spending, the commission on January 21 this year had banned with immediate effect the diversion of public funds as well as the recruitments in the government departments ahead of the elections with the exception of inductions through federal or provincial public service commissions.
Sensing backlash on the issue of backtracking on Karachi delimitations, the secretary said that the contemplated delimitation drive was not called off but was being considered. He said the demand of some political parties to dissolve the ECP was not appropriate. The constitution does not allow this, the ECP secretary said.
He said the commission has revived the decision to send the degrees of those lawmakers to the Higher Education Commission (HEC) whose degrees have not been verified and formulate a mechanism to scrutinise the tax details of politicians in coordination with the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) and Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) so as to prevent them from contesting the polls.
According to informed sources, the ECP management was under immense pressure from the ruling elites to uplift the ban on the funds diversion and recruitments in the government departments, and the electoral body was giving a lenient consideration to this request. Reportedly Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Fazlur Rehman met with CEC Ebrahim to request him to lift both these bans and he was assured that his request would be duly thought over.
On Feb 24, a governmental delegation led by Khursheed Shah had called on the CEC requesting him to play his role in uplifting the said ban. The CEC had confirmed to this correspondent having met the governmental delegation and receiving the request about uplifting the ban on the developmental projects and inductions in government departments. Well look into the matter and see if their demands are genuine or not, he had said.
The delegation included eminent law experts, the Law Minister Farooq H Naek, SM Zafar and Khalid Ranjha. Reportedly, the delegation had cited the provision of jobs to the family members of security personnel in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan who had sacrificed their lives in the line of duty as well as the heavy investment of foreign aid agencies in different projects in Pakistan to request lifting the said ban.
ECP to hunt and shunt tax-evading politicians | The Nation
However, in a move that showed it backtracking from another major decision, the ECP declared the constitutional bodies exempt from ban on recruitments. The ECP already has reversed its stance on the issue of delimitation of Karachi constituencies.
Exempting the constitutional entities from recruitments ban comes on the grounds that the constitutional bodies including the superior courts and federal and provincial ombudsmen are not in the purview of the federal or provincial governments.
Speaking after an ECP meeting, chaired by Chief Election Commissioner Justice (r) Fakh-ruddin G Ebrahim, ECP Secretary Ishtiak Ahmed Khan told the media: We have received 25 references from the federation and provinces for lifting the ban on funds diversion and recruitments, and the funds issue is under consideration. The decision to exempt the constitutional bodies from recruitments ban follows mutual consultation, he added.
Accusing Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf of pre-poll rigging by means of foul play in the funds spending, the commission on January 21 this year had banned with immediate effect the diversion of public funds as well as the recruitments in the government departments ahead of the elections with the exception of inductions through federal or provincial public service commissions.
Sensing backlash on the issue of backtracking on Karachi delimitations, the secretary said that the contemplated delimitation drive was not called off but was being considered. He said the demand of some political parties to dissolve the ECP was not appropriate. The constitution does not allow this, the ECP secretary said.
He said the commission has revived the decision to send the degrees of those lawmakers to the Higher Education Commission (HEC) whose degrees have not been verified and formulate a mechanism to scrutinise the tax details of politicians in coordination with the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) and Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) so as to prevent them from contesting the polls.
According to informed sources, the ECP management was under immense pressure from the ruling elites to uplift the ban on the funds diversion and recruitments in the government departments, and the electoral body was giving a lenient consideration to this request. Reportedly Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Fazlur Rehman met with CEC Ebrahim to request him to lift both these bans and he was assured that his request would be duly thought over.
On Feb 24, a governmental delegation led by Khursheed Shah had called on the CEC requesting him to play his role in uplifting the said ban. The CEC had confirmed to this correspondent having met the governmental delegation and receiving the request about uplifting the ban on the developmental projects and inductions in government departments. Well look into the matter and see if their demands are genuine or not, he had said.
The delegation included eminent law experts, the Law Minister Farooq H Naek, SM Zafar and Khalid Ranjha. Reportedly, the delegation had cited the provision of jobs to the family members of security personnel in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan who had sacrificed their lives in the line of duty as well as the heavy investment of foreign aid agencies in different projects in Pakistan to request lifting the said ban.
ECP to hunt and shunt tax-evading politicians | The Nation
