Hashmi may be declared ineligible for last-minute political stunt
PML-N supporter dropped pamphlets on Wednesday from a rented airplane in favour of Javed Hashmi
MULTAN:
It all may come crashing down for veteran politician Javed Hashmi after the former PTI leader's canvassing efforts in Multan seem to have violated rules of the Election Commission of Pakistan.
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.”
It all may come crashing down for veteran politician Javed Hashmi after the former PTI leader's canvassing efforts in Multan seem to have violated rules of the Election Commission of Pakistan.
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.”