By IANS
Islamabad : Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf has decided that intelligence agencies will not be allowed to interfere during general elections early next year, a media report Monday said.
Quoting highly placed sources, The News said that “it has also been decided in principle that no former army general would be appointed as caretaker prime minister and the caretaker cabinets at the federal and provincial level would not comprise armed forces personnel”.
The president will announce, in the second week of November, the election date simultaneously with the appointment of a caretaker prime minister.
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) will announce the schedule for the polls in the third week of November.
“In all probability, elections for the national and provincial assemblies would be held on the same day, and polling day will fall in the second week of January next year,” The News said.
“The decision to keep the agencies away from the polls has been taken as a demonstration of the intent to hold free and transparent elections.
“The president has asked the intelligence agencies not to establish contact with any candidate or any political leader for any purpose other than stipulated in their charter of professional duties. They have been asked to concentrate on security-related matters and law and order situation,” the newspaper added.
“Sources have revealed that President Musharraf decided not to assign any clandestine role to the intelligence agencies as it was a major demand not only of the international community but of most political parties as well,” it said.
According to The News, “the presidential camp is keen to guarantee credible and transparent elections that should not be subsequently questioned for their fairness.
“They would go to any extent to ensure this and for the purpose, recommendations coming from all the political parties and groups are being given due consideration,” it added.
A high-level meeting has been scheduled for next week to take stock of the overall situation relating to the general elections.
Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, the president’s Chief of Staff Gen. Hamid Javaid, the president’s close confidant and Secretary of the National Security Council (NSC) Tariq Aziz, Attorney General Malik Muhammad Qayyum, Law and Justice Minister Zahid Hamid, President’s media advisor Maj. Gen. Rashid Qureshi and provincial chief secretaries will join the deliberations.
The government has also decided to facilitate international observers for the monitoring the polls and the international media would be allowed to report the elections.
“The security agencies would provide such teams with protection to carry out their tasks. The registration of media would be initiated next month and the accreditation of foreign journalists will be done in accordance with international standards,” The News said.
The ECP will also ban transfers and postings of government officials beyond a specific grade after announcing the general elections.
“It is feared that the administrations in certain provinces are planning massive transfers and postings before relinquishing their offices,” The News said.
“The orders for transfers and postings have already started coming in piecemeal but the bulk is expected in the next two weeks. Requests for such changes have been made by the members of the legislatures belonging to the ruling alliance, and the administration is obliging them,” it added.