PESHAWAR: The Election Commission of Pakistan on Wednesday issued notices to former prime minister Imran Khan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mahmood Khan and several provincial ministers and advisers to the CM for allegedly violating code of conduct issued for the upcoming by-elections in the province by attending a public meeting in the NA-31, Peshawar-V, constituency on Tuesday despite warning.

The rally was addressed by Mr Imran and attended by the chief minister, his aides and cabinet members.

In the notices, district monitoring officer for NA-31 Peshawar-V Shahbuddin directed them all to appear before him or send in counsel in his office on Friday (Sept 9).

The notice issued to PTI chief Imran Khan read, “It has come to the notice of the undersigned (DMO) through media and reports of monitoring team that state resources have been utilised for electioneering and arrangements for public rally convened on 6th September as part of the election campaign for NA-31, Peshawar-V.

PTI chief, CM and cabinet members attended Peshawar by-election rally despite warning

“Moreover, public office holders also participated in the rally, which is sheer violation of Para No 17(B) and Para No 30 of the code of conduct issued by the ECP.”

The code of conduct’s Para No 17(B) said the public office holders, including the president, prime minister, Senate chairman and deputy chairman, speaker and deputy speaker of any of the assemblies, federal ministers, ministers of state, governor, chief minister, provincial ministers, and advisors to the prime minister and chief minister, should not attend public meeting of any of the contesting candidates.

Likewise, Para No 30 of the code of conduct reads, “The executive authorities in the federation and in the provinces and elected representatives of a local government shall neither use state resources in any constituency where election is being held for unfair advantage of a particular candidate or political party nor exercise undue influence affecting the interest of a candidate or party for participating in any election.”

The ministers, who got notices, included finance minister Taimoor Saleem Khan Jhagra, environment, forest and wildlife minister Ishtiaq Urmar, labour and culture minister Shaukat Yousafzai, higher education minister Kamran Khan Bangash, Zakat and Usher minister Anwer Zeb Khan, relief and rehabilitation minister Mohammad Iqbal Wazir, adviser to the CM on excise and taxation Khaliqur Rehman and assistant to the CM on minority affairs Wazirzada.

A day before the public rally, the DMO had directed the provincial government’s functionaries, including governor, chief minister, ministers and advisers, not to attend the rally as it would be a violation of the by-election code of conduct.

He had warned them all that legal action would be taken against them if they participated in the rally.

Meanwhile, Peshawar Development Authority director-general Fayaz Ali Shah, in pursuance to a notice issued to him, appeared before the DMO to clarify his position regarding the use of machinery of the authority for fixing the ruling PTI’s flags to electric poles in parts of Peshawar a day before the Sept 6 public meeting.

The DG informed the DMO that shortly after he saw a social media video regarding the use of the PDA’s machinery for the public meeting, he suspended three employees and ordered an inquiry, which would be completed in two weeks.

The DMO directed him to produce the inquiry report by Sept 12.

Published in Dawn, September 8th, 2022