ISLAMABAD: Three months after declaring that the foreign observers would be invited to monitor the upcoming general polls after the annou­ncement of election date, the ECP on Tues­day changed its mind and sent a letter to the Foreign Office to take all necessary steps to invite international observers.

The Election Commis­sion “intends to send invitations to international observers/media through the Mi­­n­istry of Foreign Affairs in terms of Section 238 of the Elections Act, 2017… the Election Commission belie­ves in an open door policy and welcomes observation missions for the upcoming general election at the earliest as required,” stated a letter sent to the foreign secretary by ECP’s Additional Director General Media Wing Haroon Shinwari, a copy of which is available with Dawn.

It says “the ministry’s advice containing such invitation to international observers for the elections in Pakistan in shaping clear policy guidelines and SOPs is deemed welcome in this regard.

The letter was sent shortly after a decision was made at a meeting chaired by CEC Sikandar Sultan Raja.

Published in Dawn, October 4th, 2023