The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has served notices to Punjab provincial ministers Saiful Malook Khokhar and Bilal Yasin for violating the election board’s code of conduct by participating in Kulsoom Nawaz’s campaign for NA-120 by-polls, DawnNews reported.
The notice, issued by a returning officer on Saturday, claimed that the two MPAs disregarded ECP rules by participating in Kulsoom’s election campaign, being run by Maryam Nawaz. The notice warned both ministers that the body would take legal action against them if they fail to submit an answer within three days.
It specifically cited the presence of the two ministers at a Kulsoom Nawaz rally held on September 8, headed by Maryam, and called it a “sheer violation of code of conduct issued by the ECP”.
The ECP had issued a notice to Yasin on Tuesday, saying that the election board can serve a show-cause notice to the MPA if he continues to participate in the NA-120 election campaign.
The ECP code of conduct forbids public office holders to participate in the election campaign of any candidate.
“After the issuance of schedule of by-election, the president, prime minister, chairman and deputy chairman senate, speakers of assemblies, federal ministers, ministers of state, governor, chief minister, provincial ministers and advisers to the prime minister and the chief minister, members of the national and provincial assemblies and other public office-holders will neither visit the area of any constituency nor shall openly or in secret give any subscription or donation or make promise for giving such subscription or donation to any institution of a constituency, nor shall inaugurate, commit to undertake or announce any development project therein for the advancement of the campaign of a candidate of his choice and thereby influence the results of election,” reads the code of conduct issued for the crucial electoral battle in the provincial capital,” reads the ECP code of conduct.
Kulsoom Nawaz is PML-N’s candidate for the NA-120 seat that fell vacant after former prime minister Nawaz Sharif was disqualified by the Supreme Court in its Panama Papers case verdict.
Source: Dawn
