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Country to see fairest polls: Afzal Khan
Country to see fairest polls: Afzal Khan
Upcoming elections are mother of all elections: Zahid Malik
Sharafat Kazmi
Saturday, April 06, 2013 - Islamabad—Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has held out an assurance that it would conduct fairest of the elections in the history of the country and people would see a lot of difference between previous and forthcoming general elections.
The assurance was given by Muhammad Afzal Khan, Additional Secretary of the Commission while speaking at the day long workshop on ‘Promoting Ethical Journalism in Reporting Elections 2013’ at National Press Club here Friday.
‘If last elections were night then people would themselves call the next elections as day’, he claimed while elaborating the measures taken by the Commission to make the electoral exercise genuinely reliable and credible.
He said the Election Commission has a huge team of 500 cameramen that would be covering elections in every nook and corner of the country to ensure that these are held as per law and the Constitution. Besides, 19 officers of the Commission have specially been trained for the purpose and the cameramen would work under them.
Afzal Khan said Presiding Officers are also being imparted special training on how to exercise their powers on the election days at the polling stations. They will have powers of first class magistrate and can send any one to jail for three months for violation of election laws.
He said strict action would be taken against any candidate if his or her supporters resorted to any wrong doing or illegal means at several polling stations in a Constituency.
The Additional Secretary of the Election Commission said the ECP would not issue passes to NGO-funded election observers. Passes would be issued to all journalists and those recommended by the National Press Club and are genuine working journalists, he added.
He appealed to the media to become eyes and ears of the Commission as these would be historical elections and those indulging in violating election laws would meet the fate of infamous Waheeda Shah. Muhammad Afzal Khan specially referred to Zahid Malik, senior journalist and Editor-in-Chief Pakistan Observer, and said he began his career in journalismunder the guidance of Mr. Malik.
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This is not a reliable witness. If he gave assurances, then he should have apologized a long time back.
I am reminded of a hit-job story aired on Express TV about 3 years ago. This is pretty similar.
So, all this shows is that you have 'bought' it. Good for you. I hope you do not imagine others to be as trusting.