Candidates ‘violate’ code of conduct in Abbottabad

ABBOTTABAD: Sheer violation of code of conduct was witnessed during the campaign for the upcoming local government (LG) elections in the district where Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) are trying hard to get maximum number of seats.
Both the political parties are trading allegations of violating the code of conduct and have filed complaints against each other. The candidates are violating the code of conduct by using loudspeakers, holding rallies, displaying huge banners and hoardings. They contenders are even influencing the voters through various means.
“Under the code of conduct issued by the ECP, the candidates cannot hold rallies. They can run door-to-door campaign or arrange corner meetings. However, the PML-N and the PTI candidates are holding rallies, using loudspeakers and announcing developmental projects,” claims former MPA and leader of Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) Naeema Nisar.
She said the candidates had displayed large hoardings and big posters throughout the city and were spending a lot of money to place advertisements in the newspapers. PML-N district general secretary Muhammad Shafiq Awan, who is also contesting the election, has filed a complaint with the Chief Election Commissioner.
In his complaint, he pointed out towards the tender of eight mega developmental schemes for different localities in the district through the Communication and Works Department of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He stated that tender of the schemes were published in a section of the press during the election campaign.
The documentary evidence provided by him showed the project included blacktopping of Numbal to Kurli Road at cost of Rs54.523 million, improvement and blacktopping of road from Bhatti to Lower Surjal with Rs107.214 million, rehabilitation of flood-damaged road from Hotrole to Mohra with an estimated cost of Rs48.193 million, widening and blacktopping of Arro Kas summa to Lora road worth of 48.744 million, improvement, widening and blacktopping from Tajwal to Baggen Road at a cost of Rs70.912 million and widening and blacktopping of Garhi Chanaali road via Serri with estimated cost of Rs60.605 million.
Shafiq Awan said that most of the schemes were announced for those areas, where PML-N had solid vote-bank. In another complaint, Nadeem Ahmad Mughal of PML-N alleged that provincial Minister for Information Mushtaq Ahmad Ghani was influencing voters in two union councils of the city.
He alleged the minister was supporting his brother-in-law in union council Kehal, where PTI’s district president Sardar Sher Bahadur and Sajid Awan of PML-N were giving him a tough time.
On the other hand, PTI candidate Fazal-i-Hadi has filed a petition before the Chief Election Commissioner against Deputy Speaker of National Assembly Murtaza Javed Abbasi for violating the code of conduct. The complainant alleged that the deputy Speaker National Assembly addressed a public meeting at Maira Husnal and announced various development schemes to get his brother elected.