ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Saturday took notice of an alleged violation of its Code of Conduct by Information Minister Attaullah Tarar dur-ing by-election campaigning in NA-77 Gujranwala and summoned him to explain his position.

According to a press release issued by the ECP, the minister visited the constituency by helicopter and addressed a campaign event for Rashid Bashir Virk, who is contesting the by-election in National Assembly constituency NA-77 (Gujranwala-I).

According to the commission, these actions violated a provision of its code of conduct, which bars public office holders, including federal ministers, from participating in election campaign activities.

The ECP sought reports from the district monitoring officer and district returning officer to inquire into the matter. It also directed the minister to appear before the commission in person.

Says information minister addressed campaign event in NA-77 after arriving by helicopter

‘Results may be withheld’

The commission added that the result of the constituency could be withheld until a final decision was made on the matter.

By-elections in NA-77 and Punjab Assembly constituency PP-203 (Sahiwal-VI) are scheduled for Nov 8. Both seats fell vacant following the deaths of their respective PML-N lawmakers.

NA-77 fell vacant after the death of five-time MNA Chaudhry Mehmood Bashir Virk on Sept 11 following a prolonged illness. His son, Rashid, is among the candidates contesting the by-election.

Mehmood Virk was elected to the National Assembly five times as a PML-N candidate. A staunch loyalist of PML-N president and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, he was first elected in 1997 and lost in 2002. He returned to the assembly in 2008 and won four consecutive elections thereafter.

Hanif Jutt won a by-election for PP-203 in November 2025 after the constituency’s original winner, PTI-backed independent Rai Murtaza Iqbal, was disqualified following his conviction by an anti-terrorism court.

The upcoming by-election will therefore be the second electoral contest in PP-203 since the 2024 general elections. PML-N candidate Muhammad Asad Hanif, nephew of the late Hanif Jutt, is among the contenders for the vacant seat.

Other candidates include independents Shoaib Raheem, Muhammad Asif, Umair Butt and Waheed Hussain, while Muhammad Awais Mahmood is contesting on the ticket of a new political platform, Tehreek-i-Ehsas Pakistan.

Published in Dawn, November 8th, 2026