ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan and Federal Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar have filed a petition in Islamabad High Court (IHC) Thursday, challenging the notices issued to them by the Election Commission of Pakistan for attending a public meeting in Dir a few days back.
On March 11, the ECP had issued notices to PM Imran Khan and other PTI officials for attending an election rally in Lower Dir in violation of the ECP rule of conduct.
Taking to Twitter, Asad Umar confirmed the move and said, “Filed petition in Islamabad HC today.”
Justifying their participation in the public meeting, Umar said, “Due process has been followed for issuance of ordinance allowing public office holders to campaign.”
Challenging the ECP’s notices, the minister said that the election body cannot ignore the law in the field.
Talking to journalists upon arrival at the IHC, he said that the petition, co-signed by PM Imran Khan and himself, has been filed in this regard at the court.
The minister was of the view that the ECP did not have the authority to interpret the law. Umar said that they requested the court to start hearing on the petition immediately.
The ECP and the federation have been made parties in the petition through the Secretary Cabinet.
"Does the ECP have the authority to remove an amendment from the code of conduct of the Elections Act?" it asked.
As per the petition, the ECP violated the laws by serving the notices on the PTI leaders for attending the public meeting.
After the promulgation of the ordinance, the ECP cannot bar the public office holders from attending the election campaign, it maintained.
The petitioners pleaded with the court to declare ECP’s March 10-11 notices null and void.
Meanwhile, the IHC registrar put two objections to the plea seeking a declaration of the ECP’s notices to the PTI leaders null and void.
The registrar said that PM Imran submitted the petition without biometric verification and his affidavit was also not enclosed with it. However, the petition has been received by the registrar.
The ECP had served notices on PM Imran Khan and other PTI leaders on March 11 for attending an election rally in Lower Dir.
In addition to PM, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Governor Shah Farman, Chief Minister Mehmood Khan, federal ministers Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Asad Umer and Murad Saeed and others were among those who had received notices from the ECP.
The ECP Lower Dir district monitoring officer (DMO) had issued notices to PTI officials for speaking at a public rally in contravention of the amended code of conduct.
The DMO had stated that there was sufficient evidence to prove that the code of conduct had been broken.
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