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Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja on Tuesday warned government officials in Sindh of strict action if they displayed any “political bias” during the election process, stressing that free, fair, and impartial elections are essential for a thriving democracy.
Chairing a meeting at the ECP’s Sindh Secretariat, Raja said all resources should be deployed for impartial and peaceful elections, adding the ECP would fully support provincial governments in all aspects. “There will be no tolerance for any form of political bias among government employees, and immediate action will be taken if such complaints arise,” he warned, according to a statement issued by the ECP after the meeting.
The statement said the ECP secretary had presented a brief overview of the preparations for general elections, including updates on the revision of electoral rolls and voter registration, during the meeting. Similarly, the Sindh election commissioner had given a briefing on the arrangements made in the province and discussed the future course of action.
He said around 20.68 million registered voters would be eligible to vote from Sindh in the general elections, adding polls would be conducted for 61 National Assembly and 130 provincial assembly seats. He said the ECP would designate 19,236 polling stations across the province, adding 4,430 of these had been designated “highly sensitive” and 8,080 “sensitive.”
In his briefing, the Sindh chief secretary emphasized that the provincial government would fully cooperate with the electoral watchdog for the conduct of general elections. He also assured the CEC that the interim provincial government was implementing all transfers/postings per ECP directives.
During the meeting, the CEC directed officials concerns to devise a plan for the flood-affected areas of Sindh, stressing the need to involve the military and Rangers to ensure transparent and fair elections.
According to the ECP statement, the Sindh police chief informed the meeting’s participants that a security plan for the elections had been chalked out, adding around 110,334 police personnel would be deployed for security duties. He further said a quick response force would be placed on alert to tackle any untoward incidents, vowing no compromise on the peaceful conduct of elections.