Planning Minister Asad Umar on Thursday challenged the Election Commission of Pakistan’s notices to Prime Minister Imran Khan and others for holding a public rally in Lower Dir last Friday in the Islamabad High Court.
“Filed petition in Islamabad HC today, challenging notices issued by ECP, for Dir jalsa. Due process has been followed for issuance of the ordinance allowing public office holders to campaign. ECP cannot ignore the law in the field. A petition is co-signed by Imran Khan and myself,” Umar said in a tweet.
ECP had issued notices to Prime Minister Imran Khan and other PTI officials for attending an election-related rally in Lower Dir in violation of the ECP code of conduct.
The ECP Lower Dir district monitoring officer (DMO) had also issued notices to Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Governor Shah Farman, K-P Chief Minister Mehmood Khan, federal ministers Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Asad Umer and Murad Saeed and others for attending the public rally in violation of the ECP amended code of conduct.
The ECP DMO had earlier asked the prime minister to cancel his plan to attend the rally. Later the ECP had summoned the premier in person or through a counsel to o appear before him on March 14 and submit a written explanation.
The ECP DMO had stated that there was sufficient evidence to prove that the code of conduct had been broken.
“In case of your failure to submit your written defence or failure to appear before the undersigned, in person or through counsel, an ex-parte decision would be taken under Section-243 of the Elections Act, 2017,” the DMO notice had stated.
In the exercise of its powers conferred under Section 234 (3) of the Elections Act, 2017, the Election Commission of Pakistan can impose a maximum fine of Rs50,000 on anyone found guilty of violating the electoral code of conduct.
