Hashmi may be declared ineligible for last-minute political stunt
According to an ECP announcement, political campaigns for the by-election in NA-149 Multan ended at midnight Tuesday since ECP had asked the contesting candidates to conclude their election campaign 48 hours before the polling day.
Be that as it may, a PML-N supporter, Azhar Baloch, dropped pamphlets on Wednesday from a rented airplane -- costing roughly Rs40,000 an hour -- in favour of the former Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) president.
The pamphlets said voters should support Hashmi as he would give them 'real' independence, while also pointing towards Hashmi's stand against corruption and dictatorship in the country.
In this regard, regional election commissioner Multan sent a confidential report about Hashmi’s violation of the basic rules to the Punjab election commission and the final decision is expected be taken by the ECP on Thursday.
The official punishment for the violation as per the ECP: 7 years of ineligibility or six-months imprisonment or being fined or all.
Social activist Faheem Gill submitted an application to the regional election commissioner Multan demanding that Hashmi be declared ineligible to contest elections. The application was also separately faxed to the Punjab election commission office and the ECP office in Islamabad.
ECP took notice of the application and ordered the Punjab election commission to submit a report till the evening after complete investigations.
Gill also censured the district government Multan for their silence and for not monitoring violations made in Hashmi’s election campaign as the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) had been openly supporting him.
Advertising, not campaigning
Meanwhile, Hashmi denied that the pamphlet constituted campaigning, calling it an advertisement instead.
“It was an expression of loyalty from one of my supporters, Azhar Baloch, and he has not committed any sin by doing this,” Hashmi said, while talking to The Express Tribune at his residence in Multan. “He is a loyal PML-N worker and he only did this to promote democracy in the country.”
Candidates up in arms
A candidate, Sheikh Muhammad Tahir Rasheed, told The Express Tribune that the district and provincial government have offered all state resources to facilitate Hashmi. "Other candidates cannot compete on merit under these circumstances," he added.
In a seminar, Prof Sial Lajpal, who is also contesting the elections, said, “we need to promote the rights of every candidate contesting on merit. If I have no land, no financial base and back up, it does not mean that I will be discouraged in this way. We are dealt with as if we were never citizens of Pakistan, and some of us are forced to support Javed Hashmi, who is supported by the government.”
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Hashmi is no candidate any more, he has disqualified himself by violating the Election laws. ECP must declare this fact clearly to avoid unnecessary hue and cry later. This man must be made an example of, there can’t be prima donas in our politics, not anymore.
To all those that are suggesting that Hashmi will lose this election by a big margin , have you forgotten the last election and the rigging that took place , how in the world do you think this will not happen again and such people will not be able to steal the mandate ?
too much optimism is bad for health !
He will lose by a big margin. Poor fellow. Despite remaining in prison for years he has not learnt cruel methods of politics.
@s: Yeah right everyone I know is voting foe Hashmi, by the trend and zeal in his supporters, Hashmi sb is bound to win big, if PTI doesnt use cheap tactics. goimrango
Nothing wrong with what PMLn supporter did. Hashmi Sb is expected to big time tomorrow, so PTI is using cheap tactics to spoil tomorrows elections. Shame on PTI
No fault in distributing flyers as it is nothing more then hoardings with political slogans or politicians on them. This is not campaigning. INSHALLAH Hashmi Sb will win the election tomorrow.
if a pml n supporter dropped the pamphlets, let's not hasten to indict hashmi yet. it is not his fault. he is not guilty if he proves that he had no knowledge of and did not procure the distribution.
Unless the gulu butts do their usual election magic, this jamhooriat ka champion is a goner. This helicopter stunt should be classified as an attempt to get himself disqualified. His next jamhoriat ki khidmat would be governor punjab in a few days time.
Hashmi a democrat haha nice joke he was the one who led the pmln goons to the surpreame court and then ransacked it and destroyed state property.
hashmi was the one who took money in the ashgar khan case.
by the way I support no party I just tell the truth.
But what evidence does the Election Commission have that this was done as part of Hashmi's election campaign or at his behest? How is Hashmi responsible for what this "PML-N supporter Azhar Baloch" did? Hashmi is not a member of the PML-N. If Hashmi loses fair and square, that's fine. But targeting him like this is unfair.
@Shoaib Orakzai: This man was a JUDAS planted in the PTI. He broke bread with PTI and then promptly stabbed it in the back. His love for democracy is laughable.
Law is what Nawaz Sharif and his stooges say.
I think he can't be disqualified just like that. I respect Hashmi for what he did and he should come to parliament once again. Good luck Mr. Hashmi!
If he is disqualified it will be because he engineered it so that he'd be disqualified.........he certainly cuts a sorry figure.
he makes his own rule when he feels like it, as one must in order to save democracy.
This is only advertisment, I have seen politicans on bill boards even after elections... So nonsense to make this an issue...!!
He will loose anyway. They wanted to put supplementary elections postponed and now PMLN buggers trying to save him from major embarrassment by getting him ineligible at first place.
may Allah's curse be on such a democracy.
This mans gone bonkers..
The stunt WAS because he wanted to get disqualified. He stands to chance in the elections: needs face-saving.
This does not violate any election law.This is as good as Posters/banners on streets or on vans
Cant help but wonder if Hashmi is deliberately trying to get himself disqualified as an attempt at saving face....
Haha... only did this to promote democracy in this country.
Everything these people do is to "promote democracy in the country". They eat, sleep and steal millions only for this purpose!
not like he's going to win anyway