ECP serves notice on Fazl’s brother over KP polls violation

Electoral watchdog flexes muscles against flouting of electoral conduct

ISLAMABAD:

Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Friday served a notice to Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s brother Zia-ur-Rehman for flouting election code of conduct during the second phase of local bodies polls in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).

Zia ur Rehman, who is also a government official, has been served notice for his participation in the election campaign and summoned by the district returning officer (DRO) for running the campaign of the JUI-F candidate, Kafil Nizami, who has also been directed to appear before the DRO on February 05.

The ECP also issued notice to the JUI-F candidate who invited government official Zia.

In a letter, the electoral watchdog said that through different sources it had come to its attention that a picture of a Zia-ur-Rehman had been used for a political gathering where he was invited as part of the election campaign for party’s candidate Kafeel Nizami.

Meanwhile, the district election commissioner and district monitoring officer DI Khan also directed the district administration to bar JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman from holding a public gathering on February 5 and 7.

The letter said that any public meeting or electoral campaign may not be allowed in the constituencies where LG polls are involved, till the culmination of the election process by ensuring the implementation of the code of conduct by ECP in letter and spirit.

It said that para-30 of the Code of Conduct issued by the Election Commission of Pakistan provides that, “for the conduct of Local Government Elections, there will be no permission for holding public meetings and rallies”.

Under section (25), in no case the picture of a government servant will be printed on any publicity material by any political party, candidate, election agent, or supporters, it added.

Similarly, under a relevant provision, after the issuance of the election schedule, any holder of public office will not visit the area of any local council to announce any developments scheme or to canvass or campaign for any candidate or any political party.

Read: "PHC postpones second phase of LG polls"

In case someone is a resident of the district where elections are being held, he may visit the district, however, will not take part in any kind of political activity, the letter said.

ECP reserves verdict in Gandapur case

On the other hand, the ECP reserved its judgment in the case against Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs Ali Amin Gandapur for violating the electoral code of conduct, which will be announced on February 7.

During the hearing on Friday, the federal minister assured that no further violation of the electoral code of conduct will be committed while praying the commission to withdraw its decision to ‘forcibly’ expel him from Dera Ismail Khan district, where polling for the city council’s mayor slot will be held on Feb 19.

The minister said he was willing to submit a written assurance that he will adhere to the electoral code of conduct.

A day earlier, a letter issued by ECP deputy director (law) Saima Tariq Janjua to the district administration asked to implement an ECP’s order issued on Feb 1 for the expulsion of minister Ali Amin Gandapur from the district over the repeated violation of the code of conduct announced by the commission for the local government elections in the province.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 5^th, 2022.