Election Commission of Pakistan has been blamed for violence on polling day

Islamabad, June 01, 2015 (PPI-OT): There are reports in the media wherein ECP has been blamed for violence on the polling day, creating an impression as if maintenance of law and order was the responsibility of ECP. It is clarified that maintenance of law and order during the elections is the sole responsibility of Provincial Government. The ECP arranged additional force through the Interior Division and the GHQ for beefing up security in the province. In nutshell, elections are a joint exercise during which no organization can absolve itself of its responsibility.

There is also a misconception that ECP was responsible for Local Government Elections in a single day. In fact, keeping in view the security measures and requirement of huge number of polling staff, ECP had already advised the KPK Government for conducting the elections in phases, but the Provincial Government, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was of the view that the poll may be held on one day.

Advice and views of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Govt. are on record. In case, the election would have been held in phases, as it was done in the past i.e. in 2001 and 2005 Local Government Elections, the incidents of mismanagement and violence could have been avoided and controlled. The Election Commission of Pakistan, however, is determined to take punitive measures wherever and whoever has violated the law.

For more information, contact:
Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP)
Election Commission of Pakistan Secretariat,
Election House, Constitution Avenue G-5/2,
Islamabad
Tel: +92-51-9201975, +92-51-9206062
Fax: +92-51-9205402, +92-51-9205300