ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has directed Chairman, Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC) to postpone the departmental examination being conducted by it till completion of general elections 2013.

It is to be mentioned here that the ECP has constituted more than 400 teams across the country to monitor the general elections 2013. The members of the monitoring teams are district officers, judicial officers and other high ranking officers. Now, including many other requests, the District & Sessions Judge/District Returning Officer, Attock has intimated that the Assistant Commissioners of Attock, Fateh Jang and Pindigheb who have been appointed as Members of Monitoring Teams for General Elections-2013 are appearing in Departmental Examination being conducted by the Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC) from April 8 to April 16, 2013. He has, therefore, requested that PPSC may be asked for postponement of the said examination while the Provincial Election Commissioner, Punjab has also endorsed the request.

The matter has been considered at length by the ECP and it has observed that changing the horse in the middle of the stream is going to be extremely detrimental to the ongoing electoral process and has directed for postponement of the said departmental examination till completion of General Elections-2013.

In this regard, the Chairman, Punjab Public Service Commission has been asked to issue necessary directions for the postponement of the departmental examination with intimation of the same to the ECP Secretariat for placing the same before the Election Commission of Pakistan.