RAWALPINDI: Lawmakers of the PML-N and PTI are busy campaigning for their party candidates in the cantonment polls in the garrison city, but in the eyes of their weak rivals they are lawbreakers.

Jamaat-i-Islami District Emir Shamsur Rehman Swati said that by running their party campaigns the legislators of the two main contenders in election have been violating the code of conduct laid down by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for the April 25 election.

Indeed, the March 20 notification of the ECP announcing the election schedule for cantonment polls barred the prime minister, chief ministers, their advisers, chairman Senate, deputy chairman, speaker, deputy speakers of assemblies, federal and provincial ministers, and any other holder of public office from visiting the area of any cantonment board to announce any development package or canvass or campaign for any candidate or any political party.

“But in our country the law is meant only for the weak and the powerful get away flouting it with impunity,” said the JI leader, adding that the Election Commission should take notice of “the MNAs and MPAs going about promising civic amenities in their campaigns in cantonment areas”.

PPP City President Amir Fida Paracha claimed that the Punjab government was using provincial machinery to influence voters in cantonment areas.

According to ECP, anyone holding public office is barred from visiting any area in the cantonment boards

“The provincial government of PML-N has a long record of rigging elections. Both the PML-N and PTI are alike,” he said talking to Dawn.

However, the critical remarks of the local JI and the PPP leaders against the PML-N and PTI had more to do with the fact that neither party has any representation from the Rawalpindi district in the assemblies or the Senate.

JI District Emir Swati said his party did not involve its members in the parliament in the cantonment election campaign to abide by the ECP code of conduct.

“People would see in the campaign period who observed the law and who broke it,” he added.

Asked for his comments, Returning Officer Fahim Zafar Khan in Rawalpindi Cantonment Board told Dawn that parliamentarians cannot announce any development package, canvass or campaign for any candidate.

Though no one had complained formally about such violations, he said the Election Commission would take action against the violation on its own. 

Malik Shakil Awan, Chief Coordinator of Prime Minister Youth Loan Schemes for Punjab and a former PML-N MNA, however, contested the view that MNAs and MPAs cannot run cantonment election campaign.

“They are people’s representatives and it is their duty to remain in touch with local residents and voters of their constituencies. PTI MPAs Asif Mehmood and Ijaz Khan Jazi are also participating in the election campaigns,” he said.

Mr Awan reminded that at the time the Election Commission issued the code of conduct the election was to be held on non-party basis.

“After that decision was changed to party-based elections, involvement of public representatives in the campaigning became a must,” the PML-N leader told Dawn.

But he denied that PML-N ministers were running the campaigns of the party in the cantonment elections.

PTI MPA Arif Abbasi insisted that while the PML-N’s campaign was being run by its Senator Chaudhry Tanveer Khan and MNA Malik Abrar, PTI’s district chapter was running election campaign.

“I have not participated in any PTI sponsored public meeting, yet. As for MPA Asif Mehmood and MPA Ijaz Khan Jazi, they are not holding public office,” he told Dawn.

Mr Abbasi urged the Election Commission to stop the Punjab government from using its machinery in the elections.

Published in Dawn, April 16th, 2015

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