Top-level meeting at ECP today to discuss new polls

ISLAMABAD: To give a fillip to its preparations to hold the upcoming parliamentary polls, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) will hold a high-level meeting to be attended by top federal and provincial officials on Wednesday.

All the provincial chief secretaries, home secretaries, police chiefs, the interior secretary, Islamabad chief commissioner, the defence secretary, the capital police chief and some other high-ranking officials will attend the meeting, a source told The News.

The session will discuss the nitty-gritty of the forthcoming general elections, inviting inputs from the participants. Besides, measures to maintain law and order for the marathon electoral exercise will be also be taken into consideration.

This is the first important meeting to brace up for the elections amid efforts by certain elements to get the polls delayed. The session will quell the speculation in this connection.The source said that the provincial officials attending the meeting have prepared their own sets of proposals for consideration of the ECP.

Under article 220 of the Constitution, it shall be the duty of all federal and provincial executive authorities to assist the ECP and the chief election commissioner (CEC) in the discharge of their functions.

The meeting is being held in pursuance of this constitutional provision. The invitation sent to the concerned officials for the session also contained the remarks of the Founder of Pakistan, Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah.

According to Article 119, the ECP shall be charged with the duty of preparing electoral rolls for election to the National Assembly and the Provincial Assemblies, and revising such lists annually; organizing and conducting election to the Senate or to fill casual vacancies in a House or a Provincial Assembly; and appointing Election Tribunals, the holding of general elections to the National Assembly, Provincial Assemblies and the local governments; and such other functions as may be specified by an Act of Parliament.

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