DERA ISMAIL KHAN: The district monitoring officer Tank on Friday fined two MNAs, including federal minister Ali Amin Gandapur, and a member of the provincial assembly over violation of the code of conduct for the local body elections.

According to a notification issued here, DMO Tank Mohammad Bilal fined Federal Minister Gandapur Rs40,000, Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl MNA Maulana Asad Mehmood Rs20,000 and JUI-F MPA Mehmood Ahmed Bittani Rs10,000 for violating code of conduct.

The DMO said the counsel for the lawmakers appeared before him, and confessed their clients had committed violation of poll code.

The DMO Tank said if the lawmakers were again found violating the code of conduct their cases would be referred to the Election Commission of Pakistan for necessary action.

It may be recalled that Federal Minister Ali Amin Gandapur was earlier fined Rs50,000 by the district monitoring officer of Dera Ismail Khan for violating the poll code.

Meanwhile, the DMO Charsadda Shabbar Abbas Bukhari issued warning to Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf MPA Sultan Mohammad Khan to refrain from violating the election code.

Qaiser Jamal of Qaumi Watan Party had lodged a complaint with the DMO that the PTI lawmaker was involved in violation of election code as he ran campaign for the party candidates and announced development schemes.

MPA’s counsel Marjan Ali Khan appeared before the DMO and submitted his statement which read: any act of the respondent unconsciously committed was due to some confusion and was not done deliberately, which was regretted. He said his client had restrained himself from visiting any area for campaign or participation in any political activity relating to the local government elections.

Published in Dawn, December 18th, 2021