LAHORE: Lahore city district administration launched on Sunday a massive operation to check violations of the Election Commission of Pakistan’s code of conduct and removed oversized posters, banners, steamers, portraits etc displayed in its jurisdiction by the candidates of different political parties and those contesting the July 25 elections as independents.

The operation was launched in all parts of the city after the Deputy Commissioner/District Monitoring Officer retired Capt Anwarul Haq gave a go ahead to special teams headed by the monitoring officers notified by the ECP in Lahore.

The teams visited many major roads and localities of Lahore, including The Mall, Jail Road, Multan Road, Canal Road, Ferozepur Road, Bahawalpur Road, Mozang, Allama Iqbal Road, Gulberg and Johar Town main boulevards, cantonment areas, DHA, Raiwind Road, Gulshan Ravi, Garden Town, Iqbal Town, Wapda Town, Mughalpura and Gari Shahu. The officials got removed posters, banners, steamers and other poll-related stuff displayed there in violation of ECP code of conduct.

“The teams removed the unapproved publicity material displayed by the candidates of PML-N, PTI, PPP, APML, Tehreek-i-Labbaik, Jamaat-i-Islami etc and the independent candidates,” a spokesman told Dawn. “The operation was carried out without any discrimination,” he added.

According to DC/DMO, the teams removed only those banners, steamers, portraits etc which were displayed in violation of the size specified in the code of conduct. “The operation has been launched impartially in all national and provincial constituencies of Lahore city district,” Mr Haq added.

He said that he all enforcement teams had been directed to be vigilant in the field and take immediate action in case of any code of conduct violation.

“In the second phase of the operation, the teams will ensure no candidate displayed such campaign material again in any part of the city,” he said.

He said the owners of the printing presses had also been directed not to take orders for campaign stuff in violation of specifications approved by the ECP. They had also been asked to print their firms’ names on the publicity stuff with their contact numbers, address etc, he added.

“This operation will continue till July 25,” he said.

The approved sizes of publicity items are: posters should not be larger than 18 x 23 inches, hand bills, pamphlets and leaflets 9x 6 inches, banners 3x9 feet and portraits should not be more that 2x3 feet.

Published in Dawn, July 2nd, 2018