The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday delineated the 'crimes' that will fall under the jurisdiction of district returning officers (DROs) on July 25, DawnNewsTV reported.
According to the notification, anyone found involved in the following acts will be treated as having violated the ECP's code of conduct and to be prosecuted against under the law:
- Evicting a voter from the polling station.
- Any direct or indirect attempt to influence a voter in connection with his or her decision to cast or to not cast a vote, either through giving a gift, making an offer or promise will be considered bribery.
- Using force or violence to coerce someone into casting or not casting a vote.
- Intimidation, inflicting harm or threatening someone with the anger or approval of a religious personality.
- Abducting a voter, intimidating, duping or influencing him or her through illegal means.
- Spoiling ballot paper or the official stamp.
- Taking ballot papers from a polling station or inserting fake ballot papers in the ballot box.
- Providing a ballot paper to someone without permission, lifting ballot papers or boxes, breaking the seal on a ballot box, disturbing polling staffers, affecting the polling process with the help of a government official, any attempt to cast a fake vote, or cast multiple votes.
- Showing or possessing firearms during polling process, torturing officials, creating disruptions near a polling station to disturb voters, attempts to affect the working of a presiding officer or other staffers, and convincing a voter to vote for a particular candidate within 400 metres of a polling station.
- Pasting a notice, electoral sign or flag within 100 metre radius of a polling station, or within the special area allotted to election agents.
- Attempting to know for whom a voter has cast his or her vote.
- Attempting to take a picture of your vote/ballot paper.
A DRO/sessions judge can sentence offenders to up to three years in jail, or Rs100,000 in fines, or both.
