Appointments, transfers banned across Pakistan

Islamabad: Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) Wednesday imposed a ban on all appointments and transfers applicable to federal, provincial and local institutions.

According to the ECP, the Secretary Election Commission has issued a letter to the caretaker governments.

Election Commission has also ordered the withdrawal of official vehicles from former ministers, advisers and assistants, while the members of the Assembly have also been ordered to withdraw their official vehicles and vacate their residences.

ECP has ordered to terminate the employment of the political figures recruited in the institutions, while the caretaker prime minister, chief ministers and cabinet members have also sought details of their assets.

The commission said that the caretaker governments can run the affairs on daily basis according to the law implementing the ongoing international and bilateral agreements.

Secretary Election Commission has issued a letter to caretaker governments regarding restrictions.

It should be noted that caretaker governments have been established in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa since December as Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) had terminated their governments in both provinces. Caretaker governments were established in the federation and Sindh, while the government and the opposition could not agree on the name of caretaker chief minister in Balochistan.

The general elections are to be held across the country by November, but it is also feared that the elections may get delayed until February or March.