ISLAMABAD: Despite the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) having barred Prime Minister Imran Khan from visiting Mansehra, the PM is scheduled to visit the city today (Friday) to address a public rally there ahead of local government elections in Mansehra and 17 other districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on the coming 31st.
District Monitoring Officer (DMO) Mansehra Hayat Ullah Jan has already written to the PM against this visit, terming it a violation of the LG polls code of conduct.
Recently, DMO Swat Salim Ullah imposed fine of 50,000 rupees each on PM Imran Khan, Chief Minster Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mahmood Khan, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Communications Minister Murad Saeed, KP Agriculture Minister Mohibullah Khan and ruling party’s Member National Assembly (MNA) Amjad Ali Khan for visiting Swat.
The fines were imposed under Section 234 (3) of Elections Act 2017. The ECP also 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) the same law.
The commission recently held consultative sessions with political parties and revised its code of conduct that bars public office-holders from visiting any area where elections are scheduled. It allows other parliamentarians and members of provincial assemblies to visit the areas where elections are scheduled.
This has not gone done well with the federal government functionaries who believe that electoral body is not empowered to revise code of conduct after the issuance of Elections (Amendment) Ordinance 2022 last month that allows public office-holders to visit any place where elections are being held.
The government moved IHC against ECP, and, last Friday, IHC rejected government’s request to restrain the electoral body from proceeding against PM and his aides. Next hearing of the case is scheduled on this month’s 28th.
ECP officials say that Article 222 makes it clear that no law shall have the effect of taking away or abridging any of the powers of ECP— and that electoral body issued code of conduct under Section 233 (1) of Elections Act 2017 which provides that the commission shall, in consultation with political parties, frame a code of conduct for political parties, contesting candidates, election agents and polling agents.
The 18 districts where LG elections are scheduled in tehsil/city and village/neighbourhood councils are: Mansehra, Swat, Upper Dir, Lower Dir, Upper Chitral, Lower Chitral, Shangla, Malakand, Kurram, Orakzai, Abbottabad, Battagram, Kolai Pallas, Torghar, Upper Kohistan, Lower Kohistan, North Waziristan and South Waziristan.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022