SUKKUR: The regional election commissioner on Thursday issued notices to Prime Minister Imran Khan, Sindh Governor Imran Ismail and federal ministers Muhammadmian Soomro and Dr Fehmida Mirza on an objection raised by a Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader, who pleaded that their visit to Khangarh in Ghotki district was a violation of the prescribed election rules.

The prime minister along with the governor and federal ministers visited Khangarh on Wednesday to condole the death of federal minister for narcotics control Sardar Ali Mohammed Mahar, who had died about a month ago.

A complaint against their visit was filed with the regional election commissioner by Abdul Bari Pitafi, said to be the covering candidate for the PPP nominee [yet to be finalised] to the NA-205 Ghotki seat.

PPP takes respondents’ Ghotki visit as a violation of code of conduct

The complainant pleaded that the relevant code of conduct barred government functionaries from visiting a constituency where an election had to be held and an election schedule had been announced.

The rule citied by the complainant says: [Para 17 (b)] “The President, Prime Minister, Chairman/Deputy Chairman, Speaker/Deputy Speaker of an assembly, member of the Senate or an assembly, Federal Ministers, Ministers of the State, Governors, Chief Ministers, Provincial Ministers and Advisor to the Prime Minister and the Chief Minister, Mayor, Chairman/Nazim, their deputies and other public office holders shall not participate in election campaign in any manner whatsoever.”

The REC notice directed the respondents to submit their reply within seven days.

The by-election for the seat is scheduled to be held on July 18.

While the prime minister and his entourage were meeting the Mahars of Ghotki, the PPP leadership was holding consultations at Zardari House to discuss major issues. The NA-205 by-poll also featured at the meeting.

PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari exchanged views with MNAs Raja Pervez Ashraf and Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah, Mir Khalid Khan Loond and other party colleagues and also received a delegation of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) led by Senator Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri.

MNA Maulana Asadur Rehman and Maulana Abdul Qayyum Halejvi were the other members of the JUI-F delegation.

Sources privy to the meeting said that Mr Bhutto-Zardari wanted JUI-F to withdraw its candidate in support of PPP candidate for NA-205 but Maulana Haideri sought some time for consultation with his party leadership. They said that the JUI-F had also put some demands to the PPP leadership against withdrawal of its candidate for the seat. The demands, they added, included release of sufficient funds to Ghotki district for its development.

The senior PPP leader at the meeting, Khalid Loond, was quoted as saying that a deal between the two sides would be reached soon.

Published in Dawn, June 21st, 2019