KP by-polls can be put off if code of conduct flouted: ECP

ISLAMABAD: In a rare gesture, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Monday said the upcoming by-elections in four NA constituencies of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa could be postponed if the provincial government did not comply with the code of conduct and cooperate with the commission.

This “caution” came from the commission which met here to consider violations of the code of conduct by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mahmood Khan and his cabinet members campaigning for PTI Chairman Imran Khan who is the party’s only candidate contesting these constituencies. By-elections are being held in four NA constituencies in Peshawar, Charsadda, Mardan and Kurram on Oct 16.

Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja chaired the ECP meeting attended by ECP members, secretary, the KP chief secretary, the KP advocate general and ECP senior officials. The CEC took notice of frequent violations of the code of conduct by the chief minister, his ministers and advisers and directed the chief secretary and the advocate general to tell them that the commission would not tolerate violation of the code of conduct under any circumstances. “The commission shall exercise its constitutional powers under Article 218 (3) to ensure that all political parties and candidates have equal opportunities in the by-elections. It will take immediate legal action against all parties, candidates and those responsible for violating the Constitution, law and code of conduct by exercising all constitutional and legal powers,” he emphasised.

The CEC asked the chief secretary to convey the ECP message to his government to ensure compliance with the law as, being the chief secretary, he was committed to ensuring peaceful elections in the province.

The commission clarified that if the provincial government was not ready to comply with the code of conduct and cooperate with regard to the electoral exercise, the ECP would be forced to postpone the by-elections in the province. Importantly, the commission decided to conduct hearing on the matter and ordered the office to issue notices in this regard.

The other day, the commission had issued a statement and regretted that the provincial government’s helicopter and state resources were being “blatantly used in the campaign for the by-polls”.

Meanwhile, the deputy commissioners (DCs) of Jamshoro and Dadu districts, meanwhile, requested the ECP to postpone second phase of local government (LG) elections, citing devastation caused by heavy rains and subsequent floods, local media reported on Monday.

The DCs have written to the electoral body asking them either to postpone the second phase of local government (LG) elections or review the situation due to devastation caused by floods. In their separate letters, they noted that the cities’ infrastructures have been severely affected due to floods, maintaining that it was impossible to hold LG polls immediately.

Dadu DC pointed out that the district was the most affected by the flood, adding that almost 66 union councils were currently submerged in flood water. Earlier, the ECP decided to postpone local government elections in Karachi after receiving input from the Sindh government.