Daily Times

Information Minister Barrister Ali Zafar has said that the caretaker government and Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) are striving to ensure peaceful conduct of general elections.

Winding up discussion on the motion regarding law and order and political situation in the Senate on Saturday, the information minister said the political parties and other segments of the society should support the caretaker government and the ECP in this endeavour.

He said we should stand united at this juncture and foil the sordid designs of anti-state savage elements which want to create a wedge in the society.

The information minister said that the elections act 2017 has empowered the election commission to hold the elections in a free, fair and transparent manner. He said the problems faced in the last general elections were eradicated in the act.

Barrister Ali Zafar said we do not believe in the censorship of media. He said we rather made Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority independent which no other government did before.

He said the state owned media is giving equal time to the political parties to project their activities and election agenda.

The information minister also clarified that there is a code of conduct for the deployment of armed forces’ personnel at the polling stations.

He said the personnel will be deployed at the polling stations to ensure peaceful environment on the Election Day.

The minister also clarified that some designated officers have been given the magisterial powers but not the personnel who will be deployed at the polling stations. He said the list of these designated officers will be submitted to the Senate secretariat.

He said the presiding officers are responsible for sending the election results directly to the election commission by using a mobile application.

Published in Daily Times, July 22^nd 2018.