Poll body allows candidates to contest
Election Appellate Authority Cantonment Boards and District and Sessions Judge Rawalpindi Chaudhry Muhammad Tariq Javed quashed decisions of Rawalpindi, Murree and Chaklala cantonment board and allowed 17 candidates of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf to take part in the local body elections of cantonment boards
The appellate body directed all returning officers of cantonment boards to also include names of the candidates in the electoral rolls of the contenders who had been declared eligible.
The appellate authority, however, rejecting an appeal of a candidate for being below 25 years of age, disqualified him.
The cantonment boards had rejected the candidates’ nomination papers due to minor technical errors. A total of 27 candidates had filed review petitions against the decisions of the cantonment boards, however, of them, 17 were declared eligible. The hearing of the election petitions will continue on August 7 as well.
The appellate authority approved the election appeals of Muhammad Khalil Malik from Ward-I of Murree Cantt Board, Saleem Bhatti and Sohbat Khan from Murree Ward-II.
In addition, appeals of Humayun Shiraz from Rawalpindi Cantt Board Ward-III, Muhammad Javed Qureshi, Sheikh Tahir Afzal from Chaklala Cantonment Board Ward-V, Ahsan Ahmed, Raja Hamad Saghir from Chaklala Board Ward-II, Chaudhry Azhar Iqbal and Muhammad Mukhtar from Cantonment Board Rawalpindi Ward-VIII were also approved.
Read CEC apprised of Cantonment Board election concerns
The appeals of Humayun Shiraz and Muhammad Javed Qureshi from Rawalpindi Cantt Board Ward-III, Sheikh Tahir Afzal and Ahsan Ahmed from Chaklala Cantonment Board Ward-V, Raja Hamad Saghir and Chaudhry Azhar Iqbal from Chaklala Board Ward-II and Muhammad Mukhtar from Cantonment Board Rawalpindi Ward-VIII were also approved.
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and the cantonment authorities have laid down strict conditions to run election campaigns in 42 cantonment boards across the country. Elections of cantonment boards on a party basis would be held on September 12.
According to the rules, candidates cannot post pictures of central, provincial leaders and supporters of political parties on pamphlets, banners for their campaigns. The posters, pamphlets, banners of designated sizes can only have pictures of the candidate.
The prime minister, governor, chief ministers, federal and provincial ministers will not be allowed to visit any cantonment area, nor can they announce any development scheme during this period.
According to the code of conduct, the size of the poster will be 15 by 23 inches, the size of the pamphlet will be 9 by 6 while the banner will be 3 by 9 feet while a candidate’s portrait cannot be bigger than 2 by 3 feet. The campaign posters and pamphlets will not be pasted on any wall or building.
The candidates have been asked to use cloth banners and not panaflax material. Candidates are required to ensure that their expenses are calculated even if the promotional material is sourced from their supporters. The transfers and appointments of government officials in any cantonment will also be restricted once the election process begins.
The elections will be held on September 12 from 8am to 4pm, while the returning officer will declare the result on or after September 17.
Rawalpindi Cantonment Board former member Rashid Khan said such conditions on electioneering had never been imposed in the past and the purpose is to prevent creating a political atmosphere, he added.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 7th, 2021