Police asks 225 aspirants to maintain peace during polls

Directs them to submit surety bonds to courts

HARIPUR: Police asked 225 candidates contesting different seats in the local government elections to submit sureties in court.

Police Headquarters DSP Ishtiaq Khan told The Express Tribune candidates in several wards and union councils of Haripur district have long-standing family disputes with other candidates and locals.

He added rival groups can disrupt peace in the area on the day when polling will take place. To avoid this, the candidates have been asked to submit surety bonds to keep them from getting into clashes and to help maintain security. They, he said, have been asked to sign the bonds following intelligence reports.

The 225 candidates will do so at the courts of judicial magistrates under Section 107 of the Pakistan Penal Code which punishes people for abetment and instigation. The official added these aspirants are from areas with the most sensitive polling stations of Ghazi and Haripur tehsils.

According to Khan, the SHO of the relevant police stations can ask any candidate to submit surety bonds or personal surety with the court, giving an assurance that they will respect the law and will not indulge in any activity that could cause trouble.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 16^th, 2015.