ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s (PTI) Islamabad chapter on Thursday claimed its election campaign is being disrupted by the local administration.

Through an official press release, the PTI has said hurdles are being created for the party in its election campaign.

Without mentioning any specific incident, the PTI has said Islamabad’s administration has been targeting its campaign and has requested the election commission to take notice of the issue. PTI candidate from NA-54 Asad Umar asked the local administration on whose directives efforts are being made to stop the party’s campaign. He said the unjust application of rules will not be tolerated and that the party will react strongly of the hurdles are not removed.

PTI Islamabad Vice President Fareed Rehman, in-charge of PTI meetings, told Dawn that the party had no-objection certificates for rallies and meetings in Islamabad but claimed that the administration is still not allowing them to hold the same. He said a motorcycle rally was planned for Thursday from G-9 but the administration did not allow it.

“The local administration impounded three of our vehicles yesterday,” he said, adding that large banners and streamers of the party have also been removed.

“Our campaign is badly disrupted,” he said.

Deputy Commissioner Islamabad Hamza Shafaqat said that rules are only being implemented.

“We are taking action against all those who are violating the election code of conduct. We are removing the banners and streamers of all political parties so it is not correct that the PTI is being targeted,” he said, adding that the PTI had the highest number of banners violating the rules. He said the administration has so far removed 4,102 posters, billboards and panflex’ of PPP, 7,456 of PTI, 4,926 of PML-N and 7,114 of MMA.

He said final show cause notices were also issued to all candidates including Imran Khan, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Asad Umar, Mian Aslam and Syed Sibt-ul-Hassan Shah, Dr Mohammad Amjad and Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, Afzal Khokhar, Raja Khurram Nawaz and Imran Ashraf to comply with the code of conduct for the elections and remove all violations, otherwise local administration could send the cases of these candidates to the Election Commission of Pakistan.

Published in Dawn, July 13th, 2018