10 July 2004	Saturday	21 Jamadi-ul-Awwal 1425

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ISLAMABAD, July 9: The Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy (ARD) has formally asked the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to disqualify Finance Minister Shaukat Aziz as a National Assembly candidate for violating election code of conduct.

Deputy information secretary of the ARD Munir Ahmed Khan has sent a letter to the chief election commissioner (CEC) asking him to take notice of the use of government funds by Mr Aziz during his election campaign.

The letter, a copy of which is available with Dawn, states that the participation of Prime Minister Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, Sindh and Punjab chief ministers and a number of federal ministers in the election campaign of Mr Aziz and the consequent announcement of some development projects for Attock and Tharparkar is a "flagrant violation of the Election Commission's Code of Conduct, announced for the October 2002 general elections."

Article (3) of the said code of conduct says: "The concerned political parties and the contesting candidates may announce their overall development programme. But following the announcement of the election schedule till the day of the polling, no candidate or any person on his behalf shall, openly or in secret, give any subscription or donation, or make promise for giving such subscription or donation, to any institution of their respective constituency or to any other institution, nor shall commit to undertake any development project in the respective constituency."

In the light of the above-mentioned article, Mr Khan writes that "the government is in no position to announce any development package for the constituency from where Finance Minister Shaukat Aziz aspires to contest."

Prime Minister Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, Sindh Chief Minister Arbab Ghulam Rahim and a number of federal ministers visited Mr Aziz's Tharparkar constituency and announced a development package for the area, the letter stated.

In addition to the violation of Article (3), it says, Mr Aziz has also violated Articles 79 and 81(1)(e) of the Representatives of the People (Amendment) Ordinance 2002 which bar a candidate from using "official influence" during the election campaign.

Mr Khan said Mr Aziz's was a fit case for disqualification as a candidate for the National Assembly elections. He further said the Code of Conduct for elections could be amended between two different general elections, while it remained the same for by-elections.

He further writes that the government has insulted the EC and undermined its authority by declaring that Mr Aziz was a "prime minister-in-waiting" and "would win the elections."

"It means that the government has announced the birth of the baby even before the marriage was solemnized and consummated," Mr Khan adds. He asked the EC to decide as early as possible if the incumbent finance minister is supposed to resign under Election Rules, 2002.

"Shaukat Aziz is a minister and as a party we would seek his resignation under the rules. Even otherwise, the Election Rules 2002 were clear that the ministers must resign before filing the nomination papers," he says.

Mr Khan has also asked the EC to take notice of the media coverage of the election campaign of Mr Aziz. He said that under Article 218(3) of the 1973 Constitution, it was the duty of the CEC to organize and conduct elections and to make such arrangements as are necessary to ensure that election is conducted justly, fairly and in accordance with law, and that corrupt practices were guarded against.