LAHORE: District and sessions judges in Kasur and Sargodha have written tothe Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), conveying them about beinginvited for preliminary meetings by the respective commanding officers intheir cities, according to letters circulating on social media.

Chaudhry Ameer Muhammad Khan, Sargodha district and sessions judge, toldthe ECP that he received a request from a commanding officer to attend ameeting on July 2 at his office as a “preliminary meeting”.

Sargodha judge writes to ECP. Dated June 30, 2018.

“[The request is] oblivion to the role and position of District ReturningOfficer for the conduct of free, fair and transparent GeneralElection-2018, Army has been deployed for provision of security in aid tothis office,” the letter reads.

A similar case occurred in Kasur where Kasur district and sessions judgeSardar Tahir Sabir claimed to receive a letter from Acting CommandingOfficer Major Murtaza Ahmed to attend a conference at Abdul Majeed AxeCamp, Kasur. “The derogatory direction issued to DROs and ROs…cannot becountenanced [in view of Article 175 of the Constitution],” Sabir respondedto the request.