No pressure on ECP, have complete authority: secretary

ISLAMABAD: The secretary of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) said on Saturday that there was no pressure on the electoral body and they had complete authority.

Briefing the media here, Secretary ECP Babar Yaqoob said the ECP had complete powers and all the institutions were "cooperating" with them.

"The institutions are acting according to our instructions," he said. "All institutions are cooperating including the military, judiciary and provincial government[s].

"I clearly state that we do not have pressure from any institution," the ECP secretary told reporters during the press briefing.

Speaking further, Yaqoob said the polling scheme for July 25 elections would also be issued on Google Map by tonight.

He said that all political parties were campaigning for the polls, adding, "Action is taken where the ECP's code of conduct is not followed."

The ECP secretary said that two letters were written to the Punjab chief minister over complaints pertaining to election campaign.

"No party has been restricted from campaigning," he said, adding that the nation would be apprised of election results through the state TV.

Yaqoob said the preparations for elections were continued in the right direction. "The process of printing and transportation of ballot papers has been completed. All material pertaining to the polls has been delivered to returning officers."

He said that CCTV cameras had been installed [at polling stations], while an audit of postal ballot papers would be conducted.

On the request of the Ministry of Interior, the secretary said, the ECP had issued notices to three candidates, who were in the United Nations [watch] list.

"Around 450,000 police personnel and 350,000 officer and soldiers of the army will perform security duties," he detailed, adding that all personnel would be acting under a code of conduct issued by the ECP.

Yaqoob said the presiding officers would be responsible for the start and end of polling process. "All the district returning officers (DROs) will have the powers of district and sessions judges."

He maintained the ECP has decided the "rules of the game" pertaining to the elections. The ECP secretary said that international observers had also been briefed on the polls.

"Up to 98 per cent facilities at polling stations in Punjab are better compared to 2013," he said.