The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) is considering putting off the second phase of the local government elections in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa – scheduled to take place in 18 districts of the province on March 31 – observing that violations were taking place there, and also sent a notice to Prime Minister Imran Khan stopping him from proceeding with his planned visit to Malakand on March 20.
According to sources in the ECP, the election code of conduct was being seriously violated in the districts.
They added that the government machinery was showing weakness in enforcing the election rules.
Besides, they said, there was no cooperation with the commission at the administrative level.
The sources said the ECP believed that a level playing field had been disturbed in the area where the polls would be held and the commission would soon make a decision about when to hold the local government elections.
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According to the schedule, elections in the second phase were supposed to be held for 65 posts of the tehsil and city council chairmen and mayors in 18 districts. Polling was supposed to be held for the posts of mayor and chairman of tehsil and city councils and different categories of members in the village and neighbourhood councils in Abbottabad, Mansehra, Battagram, Torghar, Upper and Lower Kohistan, Kolai-Palas, Swat, Malakand, Shangla, Lower and Upper Dir, Upper and Lower Chitral, Kurram, Orakzai, and North and South Waziristan districts.
In a notification, the ECP had issued a code of conduct banning all executive authorities in the federation and provinces from either announcing any development project or using state resources in the elections, which could influence the polls in favour of a particular candidate.
It had warned that if any person in government service misused their official position for influencing the results of the elections they should be liable to be proceeded under the law. Besides, the commission has also written a letter to the K-P chief secretary, demanding immediate action against Torghar Deputy Commissioner Fawad Khan.
Also read: PTI gears up for second phase of LG polls in K-P
The ECP complained in the letter that Fawad Khan had failed to discharge his duties as the district returning officer. “Fawad Khan not only disrupted the work of the district monitoring officer but also used foul language against him,” the letter read. The commission demanded that Fawad should be replaced immediately and not posted in any district where local bodies’ elections were being held. Separately, the ECP has stopped PM Imran from going ahead with his planned visit to Malakand district.
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