The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Monday directed the caretaker governments of Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa to ensure all residential facilities occupied by officials of the outgoing government are vacated and official vehicles and extra deployment of security/protocol withdrawn.
In a set of guidelines issued in accordance with Articles 218(3) and 220 of the Constitution and Sections 4, 5, and 8(c), read with Section 230 of the Elections Act, 2017, the ECP said it aimed to ensure a level playing field for all contesting candidates and political parties. In this regard, it said, the caretaker governments should assist the ECP in conducting elections and ensure the compliance of all notifications, directives and provisions laid down in Section 230 of the Elections Act.
Directing the caretaker governments to not post or transfer any public officials after the issuance of the notification without the prior written permission of the ECP, it said all recruitments in any ministry, division, department or institution under the provincial government were also banned “with immediate effect,” except for recruitments by the Provincial Public Services Commissions and in organizations where tests/interviews have already been conducted.
The caretaker governments have also been barred from announcing or executing any new development schemes that aren’t already ongoing, adding no new tenders can be issued for schemes until elections have been conducted. “All development funds relating to local government institutions of Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa shall stand frozen with immediate effect till announcement of results in the said general elections,” it added.
In addition to ordering the “immediate termination” of services of all political appointees to institutions, it said their names should also be forwarded to the ECP. “[The ECP directs the caretaker governments] to ensure vacation of government residential facilities from ex-chief ministers and their advisers, ex-provincial ministers and ex-members of the provincial assemblies of Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, besides ensuring withdrawal of official vehicles from them,” it said. “Furthermore, the dignitaries shall be provided security/protocol as per their entitlement and any extra deployment of security/protocol be withdrawn from them forthwith,” it added.
The ECP directed the interim governments to perform all functions and attend to day-to-day matters that were essential to run provincial affairs and also ordered the interim chief ministers and their cabinets to—within three days of assuming office—submit a statement of assets and liabilities of themselves, their spouses and dependents up to June 30, 2022.