Flouting the rules: ECP raps NA deputy speaker on the knuckles

Murtaza Javed Abbasi asked to respond to allegations by the end of this month

ISLAMABAD: Chief Election Commissioner Justice (retd) Sardar Muhammad Raza gave the National Assembly’s deputy speaker a severe dressing down on Thursday for participating in the election campaigns of PML-N candidates ahead of the local government elections in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

Justice (retd) Raza said that the Election Commission of Pakistan would ultimately be faulted for Deputy Speaker Murtaza Javed Abbasi’s actions. “Politicians flout the rules and the ECP is held responsible for their misdeeds,” said Justice (retd) Raza while hearing complaints of alleged violations of the code of conduct for May 30 LG polls in K-P. “We will not remain silent anymore,” he said.

Aurangzeb Khan, a candidate in the upcoming LG polls, had filed a petition against the deputy speaker and another provincial legislator from K-P. He had alleged that deputy speaker who was elected as MNA from Abottabad and Sardar Aurangzeb Khan a member of K-P Assembly from PK 47 were running election campaigns for PML-N candidates in violation of the rules.



According to ECP’s code of conduct, the highest functionaries of the state including the president, prime minister, provincial chief ministers, federal and provincial ministers, speaker and deputy speaker of National Assembly and provincial assemblies cannot take part in election campaigns in any by-poll or in LG election.

During hearing of the complaint, the deputy speaker tried to exculpate himself initially, however the complainant produced video recordings of his speeches in the area where he was seen announcing development schemes in different localities. The deputy speaker was also seen persuading the masses to vote for PML-N candidates in these videos.

“You politicians advocate merit day in and day out on TV shows. The ECP will no more bear the burden of your wrongdoings,” the CEC was quoted as saying after looking into purported evidence against the deputy speaker.

The commission has given the deputy speaker until the end of May to respond to the allegations. He has been given the opportunity to engage a lawyer.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 15^th, 2015.