September 21, 2005	Wednesday	Sha’aban 16, 1426

Please Visit our Sponsor (Ads open in separate window).

MUZAFFARABAD, Sept 20: The Azad Jammu and Kashmir Election Commission will call out the army to ensure peaceful election during the Sept 26 by-poll in a Muzaffarabad constituency, Chief Election Commissioner Justice Reaz Akhtar Chaudhry said here on Sunday.

Talking to a group of senior journalists, he said he had decided to involve the army so as to ensure there was no loss of any precious life in the by-election in LA-25 Muzaffarabad-III, which he regarded as a test case for his institution.

Justice Chaudhry stressed that only an independent and impartial election commission could ensure transparent elections and he was determined to conduct the by-poll in such a manner that no one should raise a finger about its transparency.

He said he would delegate his powers to the district returning officer on the polling day under section 3 of the Election Commission Ordinance 1970 whereas the presiding officers would be given the powers of class I magistrate which would enable them to order arrests if required.

The CEC made it clear that any attempt to threaten or intimidate the voters with display of arms or firing or by any other means would lead to registration of a case under the Criminal Procedure Code against the perpetrators which might also culminate in the disqualification of their candidate.

He said the ministers, advisers or other public office holders would not be allowed to visit any polling station and warned that any such attempt would be considered as meddling in the election on part of the government.

Apart from it, he added, use of official vehicles for transportation of voters to and from the polling stations would not be permitted and the violators would be dealt with strictly.

It may be recalled that on Saturday the CEC served a notice upon Muslim Conference president and Public Accounts Committee chairman Sardar Attique Ahmed Khan, warning him to refrain from using his official vehicle in the election campaign of his party candidate Syed Murtaza Ali Gillani.

Municipal Corporation Muzaffarabad chief officer Arshad Abbasi was also served a similar notice over complaints that his office was being used for electioneering of Mr Gillani.

Both were warned to observe the code of conduct agreed by all the parties otherwise action could be taken against them under the contempt of court of law, the CEC said.

He also said that the people with rigging complaints would be provided full opportunity to prove their case but would have to face the penalty if they failed to establish the charges.

Justice Chaudhry maintained that strict implementation of the code of conduct was aimed at providing equal opportunity to the poor people to contest the election which otherwise was a game for the affluent due to involvement of a large amount of money and resources.

Please Visit our Sponsor (Ads open in separate window)