General elections Code of Conduct: salient features

'Rights and freedom of people of Pakistan will be upheld': Rule

ISLAMABAD:

Code of Conduct:

• Political parties, candidates and election agents shall not propagate against the ideology of Pakistan, sovereignty, integrity or security of country; morality or public order; integrity or independence of the judiciary; or defame the armed forces of Pakistan.

• The political parties, candidates, election agents and their supporters shall not indulge in offering gifts or gratifications or inducements to any person to contest or not to contest as a candidate, or to withdraw or retire or not to withdraw or retire from the contest.

• Rights and freedom of the people of Pakistan will be upheld.

• Political parties shall provide equal opportunity to both men and women to participate in electoral processes• The party shall ensure at least 5% representation of women candidates.

• Men, women and transgender will not be barred from becoming a candidate or voting.

• No one will solicit the support or assistance of any person in the government service to promote or hinder the election.

• Public servant shall not support any political party or candidate in any manner to influence election campaign.

• Incitement to violence or resort to violence during pre-poll campaign or during polling hours shall be strictly avoided by candidates and their supporters.

• Candidates shall open an exclusive bank account for election expenditures.

• Political parties, candidates and election agents shall restrain their workers from exerting influence on the print and electronic media.

• Carrying and displaying weapons and firearms in public meetings and processions as well as on the polling day will be banned.

• President, prime minister, chairman and deputy chairman Senate, federal ministers, ministers of state, governors, chief ministers, provincial ministers and advisers to the prime minister and the chief ministers, mayors, Nazims, their deputies, shall not participate in campaign.

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• This ban will also be applicable to caretaker set-up, however, members of Senate and local government are allowed to participate in the election campaign.

• No political party shall run a publicity campaign in print, social and electronic media at the cost of public exchequer• ln order to preserve the sanctity of Quranic verses, the Sayings of the Holy Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) or holy scriptures pertaining to other religions, the political parties, candidates and election agents are expected to avoid the printing such publicity material.

• There shall be complete ban on hoardings, billboards, wall chalking, and panaflexes of any size• party flags will not be hoisted at any public building or any other public property.

• Organizers in consultation with the district administration shall take steps to arrange for passage of their processions to prevent hindrance to traffic.

• Public Jalsas shall be regulated in such a manner that right of the road is not hampered with.

• Parties, candidates, their supporters, government and local government functionaries or elected representative, shall not announce or inaugurate development schemes.

• Parties, candidates, election agents and their supporters shall refrain from speeches or propagation intended to arouse parochial, ethnic and sectarian feelings and conflicts between genders, ethnicity, religion, caste, sects, communities and linguistic groups.

• Criticism of other political parties and opponent candidates shall be confined to their policies and programmes, past record and work.

• Use of abusive language against leaders and candidates shall be avoided.

• Right of every individual for peaceful and undisturbed private life shall be respected.

• Parties, candidates and election agents shall cooperate with the election officials and law-enforcement agencies on election duty to ensure peaceful and orderly polling.

• Foreign and domestic observers and accredited representatives of print and electronic media will also be provided access to witness the election process.