ISLAMABAD - The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has decided to take action against officials involved in NA-75 Daska by-poll fiasco.
The Commission in a meeting, held yesterday and chaired by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja, formed a committee under the supervision of Secretary ECP, comprising Special Secretary, DG-Law and Director HR to further probe the matter.
It was further decided in the meeting that newly-formed committee will assist ECP in probe which will lead to initiation of departmental and criminal proceedings against officials involved in the light of report made by newly-formed committee.
It must be noted that ECP’s inquiry report last week had revealed that alleged abduction of presiding officers during NA-75 Daska by-election was pre-planned.
According to inquiry report released by the ECP, the by-election held on February 19 in Daska (NA-75) was controversial due to disappearance of presiding officers during the vote count.
The report submitted by Punjab Joint Election Commissioner Saeed Gul, stated that entire incident took place during the vote count was pre-planned.
The report further revealed that the meeting held at the house of Daska’s Assistant Commissioner which was attended by former federal minister for information Firdous Ashiq Awan, Deputy Director Education Muhammad Iqbal and other politicians was the master plan for making all this happen.
The ECP report also revealed that authorities concerned including police and officials of district administration performing their duties during elections were fully involved in the incident.
The report claimed that police were fully aware of this incident and failed to perform their duties to make election transparent.
The report had recommended action against police personnel involved in the whole incident. It further said that officials of education department given responsibilities in Daska NA-75 by-election also failed to perform their duties.
The ECP inquiry report also declared CEO Education Sialkot Maqbool Ahmad Shakir involved in the entire incident and said that he had failed to deliver what he was appointed for.
The report also recommended strict action against Deputy District Education Officer Farkhanda Yasmeen who allegedly held an unlawful meeting at her home before the election.