Airdropping of pamphlets: ECP takes notice of ‘code violation’

MULTAN:

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has taken notice of an application seeking disqualification of Javed Hashmi from contesting the by-polls as he allegedly violated the ECP code of conduct by electioneering beyond the ECP’s deadline.

Social activist Faheem Gill filed the application to the ECP offices in Multan, Lahore and Islamabad, after one of Hashmi’s supporters, Azhar Baloch, allegedly dropped campaign pamphlets from a helicopter over a Multan neighbourhood.

In the pamphlet, voters were urged to vote for democracy. Voters were told that they could strengthen democracy by voting for Hashmi who “has always stood against corruption and dictatorship”.

According to the ECP schedule, election campaign had closed 24 hours before the start of the polling day, ie, on Tuesday at 11:59pm. The petitioner claimed that Hashmi violated the code of conduct by canvassing beyond the schedule.

Hashmi, however, said that airdropping of the pamphlets was not part of his campaign. “Azhar Baloch is an old supporter and loyal worker of the PML-N and has done this to promote democracy because every citizen wants a strengthen democracy in the country,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 16^th, 2014.