Pakistani lawmakers ordered out of G-B

Gilgit-Baltistan Chief Court ordered the country’s public office holders and elected representatives to leave the region within three days as they were ineligible to conduct election campaigns ahead of polls.

It said the country’s political personalities, other than National and provincial assembly lawmakers and Senate members, could run the campaigns in G-B.

The Chief Court directed the G-B administration and the police to ensure that no Pakistani elected representative entered the region. It also maintained the orders of the court would remain in force till the elections, scheduled to be held on November 15.

According to legal experts, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz could run the campaign in G-B as she was not a public office holder while lawmakers, including senior leader of the party Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s Ali Amin Gandapur and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, would have to leave the region.

The PPP chief had launched G-B election campaign from Ghanche district on October 22 and since then he has been addressing various public gatherings, corner meetings and conventions of party workers. Bilawal addressed the Pakistan Democratic Movement’s rally in Quetta through a video link while he was in G-B.

Other lawmakers of PTI-led federal government, including Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs and G-B Ali Amin Gandapur, were also campaigning in the region violating the code of conduct.

Also, Prime Minister Imran Khan had addressed an Azadi Parade in G-B on the occasion of its 73rd Independence Day celebrations on Nov 1 where he announced that the federal government planned to grant status of a provisional province to G-B. He was accompanied by Gandapur.

In his address, the prime minister excused himself from announcing any development package for the region since that would have violated the Election Commission rules. He, however, assured to uplift backward areas of G-B, along with other similar regions of the country.

Earlier, the PPP had written a complaint letter to G-B chief election commissioner over the violations of election rules by the federal minister Gandapur while the party has also slammed the prime minister’s address in the region.

G-B Chief Election Commissioner Raja Shehbaz Khan maintained Bilawal as well as Gandapur and Murad Saeed of PTI violated the code of conduct for the upcoming polls in the region while participating in their parties’ campaigns. However, he dismissed criticism over Prime Minister Imran Khan for attending a public gathering in the region ahead of elections.

Khan maintained the premier participated in the Independence Day celebrations of G-B and it was “not a political gathering”.

He further said the commission had collectively issued 95 show cause notices to PPP, PTI, PML-N and other political parties for violating the code of conduct.

 With input from News Desk