PTI escapes poll body’s censure over rally

Polling body bans elected representatives from poll-related activities ahead of by-polls

ISLAMABAD: Despite holding a rally in Multan, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has skilfully dodged the election commission’s recently placed bar on elected representatives from electioneering for the upcoming by-polls.

With the by-elections scheduled for June 8 in NA-108 (Mandi Bahauddin) and PP-196 (Multan) in Punjab and PK-56 (Mansehra) in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, the polling authority has placed a restriction on all public office holders, and members of National Assembly and provincial assemblies from taking part in any campaigning in a bid to influence the results in the by-polls.

While the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) keenly observes the activities of political parties and their leaders, the Imran Khan-led party held a public gathering in Multan on May 16 but successfully managed to bypass the rules by staging it outside the constituency going for polls.

“We have brought it [the PTI rally] to the notice of the ECP secretary,” a senior ECP official told The Express Tribune, “but it has been noted that the venue of the rally was some 12km away from the constituency where by-elections are to take place.”

He said the ECP did not take any action as it was not against the code of conduct despite knowing the purpose of the rally.

The PTI had recently announced the schedule of Imran Khan’s rallies, whereby he would visit Mansehra, Abbottabad and Haripur on May 19; Mardan, Kohat and Bannu on May 21; then Dir, Malakhand, Swat and Buner on May 23; and finally Swabi, Charsada, Peshawar and Nowshera on May 26.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 18^th, 2015.