ISLAMABAD: After PTI chief Imran Khan, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has now called Emir of Jamaat-i-Islami Senator Sirajul Haq and other politicians of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to answer complaints that they have violated the code of conduct issued for the upcoming local government elections in the province.

ECP issued notices to the JI chief and KP Minister Mushtaq Ahmad Ghani, KP Chief Minister’s Adviser and member of the provincial assembly Akbar Ayub Khan, Chairman District Development Advisory Committee KP and member of the provincial assembly Sardar Idrees on Thursday to appear before it on May 25.

Read: ECP withdraws notice to Imran Khan, mist covers the reason

Imran Khan was also to appear on that date but the ECP withdrew its notice to him after he cancelled his election campaign and the PTI formally challenged the code of conduct as unconstitutional in a letter to the ECP.

An official said the ECP had received a complaint that the JI emir addressed a public meeting in Katling district Mardan in violation of the ECP-promulgated code of conduct.

It was the second such notice to the KP minister Mushtaq Ahmad Ghani.

JI chief, KP minister among violators

Earlier notice concerned a complaint made to the ECP that he was campaigning door-to-door for his party’s LG candidates.

The fresh complaint is that he has been frequently visiting the election offices of the candidates. He has to reply to that in two days and appear before the ECP on May 25 to reply the first one.

Similarly, Akbar Ayub Khan and Sardar Idrees have similarly to clear their positions on the allegation of violation of code of conduct.

Meanwhile, four suspended Returning Officers appointed for local government elections in KP are to answer the charges against them to the ECP on Friday.

They include three XENs, two from Pesco and one from Sui Northern Gas Pipeline (SNGPL) and a deputy post master general of Dera Ismail Khan. They were suspended on complaints that they were not cooperating with the provincial and district election commission staff.

It would be the first-ever action against ROs in the country’s electoral history.

In response to the ECP notices two ROs asserted that they had not been properly communicated their responsibilities by the district returning officers/deputy commissioners concerned.

The DROs of D. I. Khan and Nowshera have also been summoned for Friday’s hearing.

Published in Dawn, May 22nd, 2015

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