MUZAFFARABAD: The Election Commission of Azad Jammu and Kashmir has warned individuals and political parties against using portraits of army officers mainly the chief of army staff and head of any other institution such as the judiciary in their newspaper advertisements or on panaflex banners and posters.

An order to this effect was issued by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) retired Justice Abdul Rashid Sulehria after a welcome banner by a PTI leader with portraits of Prime Minister Imran Khan, Chief of Army Staff Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa and another central party leader went viral on social media and received criticism from citizens, with some even calling it “politicisation of the armed forces”.

“We have received complaints that some political parties are using pictures of the army chief in their advertisements and panaflex banners. Under law, no individual or political party can use or run a campaign on the basis of the pictures of the army chief or the head of any other institution. Such a step may lead to disqualification [of the political party or its leader concerned] under section 21 of Election Act 2020,” the order said.

It pointed out that all political parties were bound by the code of conduct under section 106 of the act and could not deviate from it.

The CEC directed the divisional and district administrations to initiate action, under law, against those found violating his order in addition to removing all such banners and posters forthwith.

In pursuance of the order, divisional commissioners of Muzaffarabad, Poonch and Mirpur were asked by the election commission secretary to do the needful without further loss of time.

Published in Dawn, October 3rd, 2020