News
Sharif bothers’ extra security could not to be withdrawnISLAMABAD: The additional security provided to Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Nawaz Sharif and former Punjab chief minister Shahbaz Sharif could not be withdrawn as the concerned authorities have not received written orders as yet, Geo News reported
Earlier on Friday Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) ordered the Punjab government to recall all the security the PML-N leaders.
Even earlier, source privy to the consultations told Geo News that two separate files had been put in motion. The first was about the media reports suggesting that the caretaker government had not complied with the ECP’s reshuffling order and the second was about a cut in security being provided to the PML-N President Nawaz Sharif and his brother Shahbaz Sharif.
The ECP is likely to seek an explanation from the governments of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Balochistan on orders for reshuffling in the bureaucratic set-up and curtailing the security being provided to the Sharif brothers.
In its strong-worded second directive on Thursday, the commission had asked the Sindh government for reshuffling of as many as 65 bureaucrats, including the chief secretary.The commission had earlier directed for the transfer of all the federal secretaries and chief secretaries last week. But barring the Punjab, this directive was more or less ignored by the three provincial caretakers.
The ECP decided to write to the Punjab chief secretary to remove the unnecessary security being provided to both the PML-N leaders in view of the media reports that millions of rupees were being spent monthly on ensuring safety of these two leaders.
The ECP source claimed that the commission intended to ask the provincial government to withdraw the additional security personnel deputed for the PML-N leaders’ security.It has been reported in the media that around 761 security men and 54 government vehicles are in the use of the Sharif family, which plans to field several of its members in the upcoming general elections.
In another related development, the commission wrote to the secretary Establishment Division for replacement of the incumbent Inspector General of Police, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Muhammad Akbar Khan Hoti, whose six cousins are contesting the forthcoming election.
A list of his relatives has also been faxed to the secretary after the ECP Secretary Ishtiak Ahmad Khan talked to him on phone. The ECP, through its Director General Elections Syed Sher Afgan, wrote to the secretary to issue orders for immediate replacement of the incumbent police chief of the province.
Moreover, the commission called for considering the name of Additional Inspector General of Police of the province, Khalid Masood, keeping in view his seniority and reputation.A compliance report in this regard may be sent to this office within three days for placing the same before the Election Commission.
Meanwhile, the Election Commission extended the date of filing applications with the returning officers for postal ballots from April 15 to April 25.The commission has urged the prisoners and government employees, including members of armed forces who are entitled to exercise their right of vote through postal ballot, to send their votes through postal ballot and send the applications to the respective returning officers within the extended date to avail the facility of postal ballot.
Courtesy www.geo.tv