A ‘controversial’ remark led to the dismissal of the ECP spokesperson.
Haroon Shinwari declared that elections will be held within the next sixty days if the assembly were dissolved without directives from “higher authority.”
ISLAMABAD — The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) fired its spokesperson Haroon Shinwari on Tuesday for issuing a statement “without directions from the higher authorities” regarding the holding of polls in the event that the PTI dissolved the Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa assemblies. Shinwari’s statement referred to the possibility of holding elections in the event that the PTI dissolved the Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa assemblies.
Shinwari stated on Monday, while speaking to the media, that elections would be held in the various provinces and not for the National Assembly in the event that provincial assemblies were dissolved. He was answering questions from the media.
He stated that the by-elections would be held within the next sixty days in the case that there were widespread resignations in the Punjab and K-P assemblies.
The statement was made after PTI Chairman and former Prime Minister Imran Khan announced on Saturday that the party had decided to resign from provincial assemblies, most notably in Punjab and K-P where the party is currently in government, in an effort to exert pressure on the federal government to announce an early election date. The statement was made after Imran Khan’s announcement.
Shinwari was told on Tuesday that he must resign from his position as spokesperson after the ECP issued guidelines to that effect. The ECP stated that Shinwari had answered to the media enquiries “without directions from the higher authorities.”
According to certain sources, Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja held a meeting in which he allegedly issued directives to have Shinwari removed from his position.
The beat reporters took their complaint to the secretary of the ECP and pointed out that Shinwari had not said anything unconstitutional or unlawful. They also mentioned that he would have only informed the law if he had said anything.
They demanded that the organisation in charge of overseeing the polls reconsider its decision and put Shinwari back into his previous role.
