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GOVT GREENLIGHTS ARMY'S DEPLOYMENT FOR 'PEACEFUL CONDUCT' OF FEB 8 POLLS
Profit
Wednesday, 24 January, 2024 I 12 Rajab, 1445
CABINET, CHAIRED BY CARETAKER PM, GIVES NOD TO ARMY’S DEPLOYMENT
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ISLAMABAD
SECURITY PERSONNEL TO PERFORM DUTIES AT SENSITIVE CONSTITUENCIES, POLLING STATIONS
STAFF CORRESPONDENT
HE caretaker federal cabinet on Tuesday approved the deployment of the Pakistan Army and civil armed forces for the peaceful holding of the upcoming February 8 general elections. With less than three weeks remaining for the upcoming polls, Pakistan has recently seen an uptick in terrorism. Earlier this month, an independent candidate was killed in a gun attack in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s North Waziristan. According to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office, interim Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar presided over a federal cabinet meeting on Tuesday here in Islamabad wherein the government “approved the deployment of Pakistan Army and civil armed forces troops for the peaceful conduct of general elections” on the recommendation of the interior ministry. The press release said the security personnel will perform duties at sensitive constituencies and polling stations, as well as act as a rapid response force. The fresh measure came a few days after PM Kakar constituted a sevenmember committee for the smooth conduct of the upcoming elections as well as overseeing their security arrangements. A day earlier, interim Information Minister Murtaza Solangi said threat
alerts had nothing to do with polls and asserted that general elections would be held on Feb 8. “In the past, general elections were successfully conducted despite security issues in the country […] there is no problem in conducting the upcoming February 8 general elections as well,” he had said. Acknowledging the presence of threats in various parts of the country, top government and security officials had assured the ECP last week of their readiness to hold general elections. Reviewing preparations for the Feb 8
Govt challenges top court’s ruling on restricting SJC’s action against former judges ISLAMABAD
STAFF REPORT
The caretaker federal government on Tuesday moved the Supreme Court against its 2023 judgment in Afiya Shehrbano Zia case, which restricted the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) from taking action against former judges. The move came shortly after the top court reserved a verdict on a petition by Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui, the former Islamabad High Court (IHC) judge, against his dismissal from the post. In the plea filed against the Afiya Sheherbano case ruling under the SC (Practice and Procedure) Act, 2023, the government has nominated the SJC, apex court registrar and others as parties. It moved the apex court to lay down rules on whether the judicial council can continue the action against judges even after they have tendered their resignations. The government demanded the Supreme Court to nullify its ruling in the Afiya Sheherbano case. A three-member bench of the top court on June 27, 2023, ruled that the SJC cannot take or continue action against the jurists if they step down or retire. The judgment held that judges who retire or resign do not fall within the ambit of Article 209 of the Constitution that determines misconduct of superior court judges. Earlier in the day, the top court in short order on Siddiqui’s plea stated: “If deemed necessary, further judicial action can be taken by the Supreme Court.” The court asked: What relief can be given if Shaukat Siddiqui’s appeal is approved?
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polls, with a focus on the law and order situation, the meeting chaired by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja was given assurances that all arrangements were in place to hold elections and deal with “any kind of situation”. Meanwhile, the Punjab government has imposed Section 144 across the province till Feb 12 after reports on “threats to the law and order situation” during the elections emerged. Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) empowers the district administration to issue orders in the public interest that may place a ban on an ac-
tivity for a specific period of time. In a notification dated Jan 22 — a copy of which is available with Dawn.com — Punjab Home Department Secretary Shakeel Ahmed said it was reported that “there exist threat to law and order situation and public peace” in the province during the Feb 8 polls. “In the wake of these elections, a large number of political gatherings, rallies, corner meetings are likely to be held by the contesting candidates and political parties for 141 and 297 seats of National and provincial assembly, respectively, all over Punjab which may serve as soft targets for any desperate act by terrorists and miscreants,” he stated. Further, he highlighted that considering historical precedents, the likelihood of conflicts between competing candidates and opposing political parties or groups in various regions could not be ruled out. “The ensuing security milieu demands extraordinary vigilance and extensive security Measures to pre-empt any untoward incident, in the larger interest of internal security,” the notification added. Shakeel further stated that under the directions, there would be a ban on displaying weapons including licensed ones, except those by law enforcement agencies. All types of firing and violation of any clause of the Election Commission of Pakistan’s code of conduct would also be prohibited.
ECP freezes development funds of local govt ahead of general elections ISLAMABAD
STAFF REPORT
The Election Commission of Pakistan(ECP) has taken a significant step by freezing the development funds for all local government departments nationwide. This freeze extends until the announcement of the general election results. The Election Commission’s notification explicitly prohibits the initiation of any local development schemes or related activities throughout the country. The directive includes a suspension on tenders and contract awards by local governments and cantonment boards until the conclusion of the general elections. While the day-to-day affairs of sanitation and cleanliness will continue, the announcement or execution of any local development scheme is strictly forbidden. Previously, the Election Commission of Pakistan had implemented a ban on appointments and transfers affecting federal, provincial, and local institutions alike. The Secretary of the Election Commission had communi-
cated this decision to the caretaker governments in all four provinces, including the Federation. Furthermore, the Election Commission ordered the retrieval of official vehicles from former ministers, advisors, and assistants, emphasizing similar actions for assembly members who were instructed to vacate official residences. The Commission also directed the termination of employment for political figures appointed in various institutions, seeking detailed asset disclosures from the caretaker prime minister,
chief ministers, and cabinet members. While the caretaker governments are permitted to manage daily affairs in accordance with the law, implementing ongoing international and bilateral agreements, the Election Commission has set clear restrictions. The Provincial Election Commissioners have communicated these restrictions to the Chief Secretary of Punjab, IG, and all relevant authorities, outlining instructions for the supervisory setup across the four provinces.
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Int’l observers and journalists to monitor, cover general elections: Solangi ISLAMABAD
STAFF REPORT
Caretaker Minister for Information and Broadcasting Murtaza Solangi has said that international observers and journalists will visit Pakistan to monitor and cover general elections to be held on the 8th of next month. He was addressing a news conference along with Secretary Information Shahera Shahid, Director General Radio Pakistan Saeed Ahmed Sheikh and Executive Director General External Publicity Wing Ambreen Jan in Islamabad. Sharing details of the applications being processed, the Information Minister said that forty-nine visas have so far issued to the foreign journalists whilst thirty-two are under process. He said Pakistan’s High Commission in India has also received twenty-four applications which are being processed. The Information Minister said that a total of one hundred and seventy-four applications from various foreign media outlets have been received. He mentioned that several international media outlets including CNN, BBC, DW and those of Japan have already presence in Pakistan and they will be covering the elections on National and Provincial Assemblies’ seats. Murtaza Solangi said the applications submitted by the foreign observers are also being processed. He said twenty-five applications have been received from Britain, eight from Russia, thirteen from Japan, five from Canada, two from South Africa and five from Commonwealth. He said that international journalists and observers are being given permission letters for monitoring and coverage of the electoral process in three big cities of Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad. He, however said if a foreign journalist wants to visit any other city, his case will be processed on case- by-case basis. The Information Minister said local journalists are being provided with accreditation cards for coverage of the general elections. He said six thousand and sixty-five accreditation cards have so far been issued to the local journalists across the country. Giving a city wise break- up, Murtaza Solangi said twelve hundred cards have been issued in Lahore, one thousand four hundred seventy in Karachi, one thousand fifty in Peshawar, six hundred in Quetta, three hundred fifty five in Hyderabad, two hundred fifty in Faisalabad and two hundred ninety in Multan. Responding to a question, the Information Minister said it is the responsibility of the state to provide security to its citizens and we will also be providing security to the foreign journalists and observers. Executive Director General EP Wing Ambreen Jan, in her remarks, said we have received requests from fourteen countries for their journalists and observers to be allowed coverage of the elections. She said the Election Commission has also issued a code of conduct for the foreign journalists and observers. The Executive DG EP Wing said a media cell will be established at the office of Press Information Officer where all facilities will be provided to the foreign observers and journalists. She said a cell at EP Wing has also been established for the issuance of accreditation cards to the journalists.
Cabinet rejects plan to hand DISCOs over to army-led committees, claiming they have enough going on
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STATES DISCOS SHOULD FOCUS ON PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY RATHER THAN SHORT-TERM FIXES PROFIT
AHMAD AHMADANI
The caretaker cabinet has rejected a proposal of the Power Division that sought to hand over control of the country’s distribution companies (DISCOs) to a mix of bureaucratic and military officials. The cabinet had earlier received the proposal which recommended instituting performance management units (PMUs) for the many DISCOs that operate to distribute electricity to end-consumers all over the country. According to documents seen by Profit’s correspondent, the proposal had suggested that the PMUs would have officers from the Pakistan Administrative Service, Federal Investigative Agency and an Intelligence Agency as members, and would be led by a BPS-20 officer of the Pakistan Army. THE MINISTRY’S PROPOSAL: Plans for what to do with Pakistan’s distribution companies have been rife for the past few months. Many different solutions had been proposed from privatising the institutions to handing them over to the military but no clear consensus seemed to be emerging. The main concern in this situation was ensuring that the DISCOs find a solution to
cut their losses by curbing the theft of electricity — which they claim is the reason behind their massive losses. Late last year, it seemed that a consensus had been reached at an Apex Committee meeting of the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) on October 14, 2023. The agreement centred on the formation of an Anti-theft Task Force — an assembly of officers from the armed forces, law enforcement agencies, district administration, and intelligence services. This task force would align itself with DISCOs suffering significant losses, specifically the Quetta Electric Supply Company (QESCO), the Peshawar Electric Supply Company (PESCO), the Sukkur Electric Power Company (SEPCO), the Multan Electric Power Company (MEPCO), and the Hyderabad Electric Supply Company (HESCO). The inaugural PMU, according to the Power Division, was slated for launch in HESCO as a pilot project. But before this could get to an implementation stage, the Cabinet instructed the Power Division to submit a holistic plan with specific objectives, accountabilities, and deadlines. It concluded the meeting with the directive to the Power Division that a comprehensive plan, with definitive timelines and
an exit strategy, was indispensable. In response the power division submitted this proposal where it painted a dire picture requiring immediate action. The proposal highlighted the daunting task of appointing an adept Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) for the ten DISCOs operating under the Central Power Purchasing Agency-Guarantee system. The Power Division highlighted how the DISCOs had become the financial albatross that they are due to the leadership of the DISCOs. The Power Division contended that successive governments have been unsuccessful in filling the CEO positions with individuals possessing the necessary acumen and expertise to metamorphose these companies, despite trialling various recruitment strategies in the past. As a result, it argued, the power sector has been plagued by severe inefficiencies. It underscored that the inception of DISCOs was intended to expedite corporatisation and privatisation to usher in improvements, but the entire process of further reforms has been stymied. The PMUs, the Power Division maintained, were a means to sidestep the aforementioned leadership quandaries and steer the DISCOs back on course.
The Power Division also apprised the Cabinet of its ongoing campaign against electricity theft and defaulters to mitigate losses in the power sector. Here again, it spotlighted its trepidations with the leadership of the DISCOs as it expressed its apprehension that the leadership of DISCOs might fall short of achieving the projected outcomes. HESCO, SEPCO, PESCO, and QESCO were singled out for having severe capacity constraints in terms of management and necessitating administrative support, which were likely to wreak havoc on the financial standing of these DISCOs. The Power Division underscored how the incessant failure of the leadership of the DISCOs had precipitated their financial health into the current dire state. It reiterated how the receivables for the DISCOs had escalated to a staggering Rs 1.8 trillion, and that the total accumulation of circular debt in the power sector amounted to Rs 2.3 trillion as of June 2023. Furthermore, the Power Division divulged that during the financial year 2023-24, these DISCOs were projected to incur losses of around Rs 589 billion, comprising ‘under recovery’ and losses exceeding the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority’s acceptable threshold.
The Cabinet’s reservations Based on our sources, the Cabinet deliberated extensively on the proposals put forth by the Power Division. Nevertheless, it challenged their rationale on several grounds. To begin with, the Cabinet disputed the proposal to set up a PMU in each DISCO, comprising officers from the Pakistan Administrative Service, Federal Investigative Agency and an Intelligence Agency, led by a BPS-20 officer of the Pakistan Army. It argued that the proposal had not been agreed upon. The Cabinet maintained that rather than scattering the functional bureaucracy and the armed forces — who were already burdened with more pressing obligations — there was an urgent necessity for the Power Division to mobilise its own teams to supervise the operations of the DISCOs. Moreover, the Cabinet opined that the the heart of the issue lay in the DISCOs executing their fundamental responsibility of mitigating electricity theft and rectifying their internal institutional deficiencies, rather than resorting to precipitous, short-term palliatives. It also observed that obstructing passports, computerised national identity cards, and foreign travel were mere diversions from authentic, enduring solutions.