ECP lifts ban on recruitments, transfers

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has reportedly lifted a ban on recruitments, postings and transfers and development projects, a week after the general elections.

According to reports, the commission said the notification in connection with freezing funds of local government institutions has also been withdrawn.

The ECP had imposed a ban on recruitments and development schemes on April 11 – three months before the general elections.

The ECP has said the ban was aimed to ensure transparency in the general elections scheduled around August this year.

Earlier, owing to the general elections, the ECP had slapped a ban on new recruitment of public servants in the federal, provincial and local government departments and execution of development projects. The Commission has termed the possible induction of thousands of people in the government departments as “pre-poll rigging.”

At the time of imposing a ban, the ECP had said: “For tangible reasons, the Election Commission was of the considered view that such mass recruitment at this point of time when the general elections of the National Assembly and provincial assemblies are going to take place, will substantially influence outcome of election.”

The Commission said that “it is imperative on all standards of legal, moral and democratic ethics that all kinds of recruitments except the recruitments which are made by the federal and provincial public service commissions be banned forthwith.”