ISLAMABAD: Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has disqualified Umar Amin Gandapur, the mayoral candidate for Dera Ismail Khan, who is also the brother of Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan Ali Amin Gandpur and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Local Government Minister Faisal Amin Gandapur, for violation of code of conduct of the election scheduled on the coming February 13.
The electoral body has allowed Ali Amin to visit DI Khan to attend the wedding ceremony of one of his family members on the assurance that the minister would “not take part in any political activity in the area.”
A three-member ECP bench led by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja and comprising of ECP members Nisar Ahmed Durrani and Shah Muhammad Jatoi announced the verdict in the case on Monday that was reserved last week.
Under the existing laws, the disqualified candidate can move the superior judiciary against the ECP decision and can contest the February 13 election if so allowed by the court.
In addition, a counsel of KP Member Provincial Assembly (MPA) from Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Ahmed Karim Kundi tendered an unconditional apology to the ECP over violation of electoral code of conduct. The bench reserved its verdict in the case against him that would expectedly be announced in the coming days.
In December last year, the electoral body slapped a fine of Rs50,000 on Ali Amin and Rs30,000 on Kundi for electoral code of conduct violation.
The ECP can impose a maximum fine of Rs50,000 on anyone found guilty of violating the electoral code of conduct, in exercise of its powers under Section 234 (3) of Elections Act 2017.
The commission has the powers to disqualify any candidate from contesting LG polls if he/she is found violating electoral code of conduct more than once, under Section 234 (4) of Elections Act 2017.
Mayor election in DI Khan was scheduled on December 19, 2021, but postponed due to the murder of Umar Khitab Shirani, a mayoral candidate for DI Khan from Awami National Party (ANP), a day before the election.
Also in December last year, the ECP wrote a letter to Prime Minister Imran Khan directing him not to pay a visit to Peshawar in view of the local government polls, warning that action would be initiated against the premier if he visited the KP provincial capital. However, the PM not only carried out this visit but also announced some development packages in Peshawar. The electoral body allegedly hushed the matter under the carpet by not taking any action against the PM. The ECP had also fined Rs50,000 each on PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Chief Minister Sindh Murad Ali Shah, Information Minister Sindh Saeed Ghani and other bigwigs for violation of KP LG polls code of conduct but later withdrew the imposition of fines on them.
On December 19, 2021, LG elections for village/neighbourhood and tehsil/city councils were held in 17 districts: Peshawar, Buner, Bajaur, Mardan, Swabi, Nowshera, Kohat, Karak, Dera Ismail Khan, Bannu, Tank, Haripur, Khyber, Mohmand, Charsadda, Hangu and Lakki Marwat.
The polls saw several incidents of widespread violence with fingers categorically pointed at the ECP by political and public circles for its failure to ensure peaceful and transparent polls.
The ECP is holding re-polling at 221 polling stations under the first phase on the coming February 13.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022
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