Code of conduct violation: ECP fines PM Imran Khan for third time

PESHAWAR: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has imposed a fine of Rs50,000 on Prime Minister Imran Khan for a third time in the last over a week for violation of the code of conduct during the second phase of the local government polls.

The ECP also imposed a fine of Rs50,000 each on Chief Minister Mahmood Khan, Federal Minister Murad Saeed, Ali Haider Zaidi and MPA Shakil Khan for participating in the meeting. Before Malakand, the DMOs of Lower Dir and Swat had imposed Rs50,000 fine each on the prime minister and other public officeholders in recent days.

An official said the DMO Malakand had sent two notices, on March 20 and March 22, to the prime minister through his secretary to appear personally or through his counsel to explain his position for violating the code of conduct by addressing a public meeting in Malakand on March 20.

“The DMO on Thursday decided the case and imposed a fine of Rs50,000 on PM Imran Khan,” said an official of the ECP. The order added that in case of second violation, the matter will be referred to the ECP under section 234 of the Election Act 2017.

An appeal to the ECP can be filed against the decision of the DMO in three days. The same amount of fine was imposed on CM KP and other public officeholders. They were directed to deposit the fine till March 27.

This is the third time the head of the state was fined by the commission for addressing public meetings in areas where the second phase of LG polls is being held on March 31. Before all these public meetings, the ECP had written to Imran Khan not to violate the election code of conduct.

The ECP has also written to the provincial government to stop another public meeting scheduled in Mansehra on March 25 that is likely to be addressed by IK. Apart from the PM and CM KP, a number of politicians have been fined for violating the election code of conduct during the second phase of local bodies polls. Frequent violations of the code of conduct for the polls is being reported in the second phase. However, the DMOs are active by sending notices and imposing fines.

On Thursday, the DMO Kolai Palas Kohistan Imposed Rs15000 fine on a candidate of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazal for tehsil council Najeem Khan for violating the code of conduct. Besides, the DMO Mansehra imposed a fine of Rs20,000 on tehsil candidate of Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz, Sardar Khan, for violation of the code of conduct.

The ECP has also served notice on Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari for addressing a public meeting in the district on March 23. The PPP chairman was directed to appear personally or through counsel on March 25 at the office of DMO to explain his position.

An official of the ECP said that under the code of conduct for the polls, there is a ban on public meetings, car rallies as well as use of state resources for campaigning for any candidate. He said the candidates can address corner meetings.