ECP invites foreign observers to monitor general elections

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has decided to invite foreign observers to monitor the general elections.

Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja chaired a meeting and decided to write a letter to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to take urgent steps to invite international observers to assess the transparency of the forthcoming general elections.

In the meeting, it was also determined that the election commission should promptly handle the requests from international observer organizations wanting to oversee the election process.

The commission issued instructions for the convening of an Inter-Ministerial Meeting on October 16, 2023, to be chaired by the Secretary Election Commission.

The meeting will involve senior officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Interior, and other relevant institutions to decide on the forthcoming actions concerning international observers.

The letter said that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs should inform the election commission about the SOPs and sought focal persons from all stakeholders.

The ECP has approved the code of conduct for international observers and has allowed its immediate release for publication.

Apart from this, the commission appointed the Joint Provincial Election Commissioner Admin as Focal Persons in the four provinces.

The meeting has also examined the preparations for the upcoming general elections and emphasized the importance of adhering to the set schedule for all election-related matters.

The meeting assessed the preparations for the upcoming general elections, expressed satisfaction with the arrangements, and issued a directive for election-related tasks to follow the established schedule.

It should be noted that the announcement of the official schedule of the general elections has not yet been public nor has the date of the general elections been given.