ISLAMABAD: Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has barred Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif from visiting Thatta ahead of scheduled second phase of local government elections in the said division on July 24.
In a letter written to the PM by District Returning Officer/ Regional Election Commissioner Thatta Division Abdul Rehman Arain, the latter has stated that it came to his knowledge through the visit programme issued by Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) that the PM intended to visit district Thatta for groundbreaking ceremony of the Greater Karachi Bulk Water Supply Scheme K-IV Phase-I.
The letter informed Sharif that the schedule of second phase for LG was announced by ECP on June 10 and the said polls were scheduled in 14 districts of Karachi, Hyderabad and Thatta Divisions on July 24.
The DRO Thatta, in the letter, cited the ECP code of conduct which provided that the president, PM, chairman/ deputy chairman Senate, speaker/ deputy speaker of an assembly, federal ministers, ministers of the state, governors, chief ministers, provincial ministers and advisors to the prime minister and the CM, mayors/ chairmen, their deputies and other public office-holders “shall not participate in election campaign in any manner whatsoever.”
The DRO told the PM, “ You are; therefore, required to go through the contents of the relevant reproduced supra mentioned para and act accordingly, the failure in this regard amounts to the violation and shall be taken in the light of the Sections 233 and 234 of the Elections Act 2017. The matter needs to be treated as the most urgent as it relates to the transparent and smooth conduct of the election, hence, requires absolute adherence to the law.”
The ECP can impose a maximum fine of Rs 50,000 on anyone found guilty of violating the electoral code of conduct— in exercise of powers under Section 234 of Elections Act 2017.
Under the same section, electoral body has powers to disqualify any candidate from contesting LG polls if he/ she is found violating electoral code of conduct more than once.
On June 26, under first phase, LG elections were held in 14 districts of Sindh: Larkana, Kambar Shahdadkot, Shikarpur, Jacobabad, Kashmore, Sukkur, Ghotki, Khairpur, Naushahro Feroze, Shaheed Benazirabad, Sanghar, Mirpurkhas, Umerkot and Tharparkar.
It merits mentioning here that the ECP has summoned CM Punjab Hamza Shahbaz tomorrow (Thursday) for announcing Roshan Gharana Programme in Punjab, ahead of scheduled by-elections on 20 seats of Punjab Assembly on July 17, in alleged violation of electoral code of conduct.—SARDAR SIKANDER SHAHEEN
