ISLAMABAD: On November 1st, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) summoned Imran Khan, the chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), and a minister from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government for breaking the code of conduct in NA-45 Kurram.
For the Kurram National Assembly seat, Imran Khan is running for office. He and KP Minister for Settlement Iqbal Wazir have received notices from the electoral body.
Tomorrow is the day for the NA-45 by-election
The district monitoring officer Kurram reported Iqbal Wazir had broken the ECP’s code of conduct to the electoral authority. The KP MPA was reportedly fined Rs 30,000 for repeatedly breaking the rule of conduct. The minister hasn’t yet paid the fine, though.
Making these preparations for the election will ensure that it is free and fair, which is the commission’s constitutional and legal duty.
According to the report, the province minister’s election campaign is being affected by the use of government resources, which is against Article 218 (3) of the Constitution. It is the commission’s duty to pursue legal action against those responsible.
Under Section 182 of the Elections Act 2017, the time for the campaigning will end at 12 o’clock on Friday, and hence no candidate can campaign after 12 o’clock. According to the ECP spokesperson, the violators can be imprisoned for up to two years or fined up to Rs 10,000 or both.