MUZAFFARABAD: A day after the administration in Muzaffarabad lodged an FIR against a PTI candidate and two of his supporters from a suburban area of the state capital, a returning officer in Bagh district served a notice on another PTI candidate on Tuesday for alleged violation of the code of conduct.

According to a press release issued by the Election Commission, Sardar Tanveer Ilyas Khan, PTI’s candidate in LA-15, Bagh-II, was asked by the returning officer concerned to appear before him at 11am on Wednesday and explain as to why he had led a rally of around 200 vehicles and motorbikes, some fitted with loudspeakers, from Hari Gehl to Kifal Garh village of his constituency on July 4.

Under Rule 4 (32) of the code of conduct, vehicular rallies and use of loudspeakers for election campaign was prohibited, said the commission.

Mr Khan, still a serving adviser of the Punjab chief minister, is one of the key leaders of PTI in Azad Kashmir.

Earlier on Monday evening, the Election Commission had informed the media that an FIR had been registered against Chaudhry Shahzad Mehmood, PTI’s candidate in LA 28, Muzaffarabad-II, and two organisers of his corner meeting held on July 2 in Dharra Mughlan village of his constituency.

According to the commission’s press release, a video was circulated on social media on Sunday wherein Mr Mahmood was seen attending a corner meeting, which was organised by retired schoolteacher Zahoor Mughal and transporter Mumtaz Mughal “without any prior intimation to the administration or the police station concerned in accordance with the requirements of the code of conduct”.

The video also showed [some] participants of the meeting displaying weapons and resorting to firing in the air in what also constituted a serious violation of the code of conduct,the press release said, adding that since preliminary investigation had established both violations an FIR against the trio was lodged by the administration.

Suspension of two officers ordered

In a related development on Tuesday, the Election Commission asked the chief secretary to place an assistant director of the local government department in Kotli and the medical superintendent of District Headquarters Hospital Bagh under suspension for taking part in the election campaign of PML-N and PTI candidates, respectively.

It also asked him to initiate inquiries against the duo and submit its report to the commission at the earliest.

According to the commission, standing orders had been given to all secretaries to impel their subordinates to follow the code of conduct and avoid electioneering.

The secretaries had also been directed to immediately suspend and initiate action under rules against all such employees found involved in political campaigning, it said.

Fresh warning issued

In the wake of “complaints about willful violation of the code of conduct by some candidates and their workers,” the Election Commission informed on Tuesday that it had written fresh letters to all contesting parties and candidates, asking them to ensure that the code of conduct was followed in letter and spirit.

“A violation, either by a candidate himself or by his supporters or guests, shall be deemed to have been committed by the candidate followed by action under rules that may culminate in the disqualification of the candidate,” said a spokesperson for the commission in a statement.

He expressed the hope that visiting politicians and dignitaries from Pakistan would also avoid announcements about development schemes, etc. as well as distasteful comments about opponents during the campaign.

“If the visiting political leaders and government functionaries from Pakistan resort to any action in violation of the code of conduct, it shall be deemed to have been committed by their host party and candidate and will be followed by action under rules that may culminate in the disqualification of the party or the candidate concerned,” the spokesperson declared.

Published in Dawn, July 7th, 2021