ISLAMABAD, Sept 21: Chief Election Commissioner, Irshad Hasan Khan, on Saturday issued warning to the police to perform its duties justly and not to harass any contesting candidate.
The warning was given to the Inspectors General of Police throughout Pakistan, including Islamabad capital territory, with a direction to issue instructions to all the SHOs to perform their statutory duties justly, honestly, equitably and in accordance with the law.
The directions were issued on a complaint lodged by the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) that the police was allegedly harassing its candidates and supporters.
While dealing with the complaint, the CEC has also invited the attention of all and sundry towards section 90 of the Representation of the People Act, 1976, which suggests that the returning officer, assistant returning officer, presiding officer, assistant presiding officer, polling officer or any other officer or clerk performing a duty in connection with an election, or any member of a police force, will be guilty of an offence punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 6 months, or a fine of Rs1,000, or both, if he, in the conduct or management of an election or maintenance of order at a polling station, persuades any person to give his vote, dissuades any person from giving his vote, influences in any manner the voting of any person or does any act calculated to influence the results of the election.
The acting secretary-general of the PPP Mian Raza Rabbani has accused the police of harassing party candidates at the behest of the government.
Meanwhile, the EC has also entrusted the complaint of Ahsan Iqbal, a candidate from NA-117 Narowal-III, to Justice Nasim Sikandar, an EC member, for the disposal of the case in accordance with the law.
Ahsan Iqbal has complained that the District Nazim Narowal was supporting the election campaign of his wife, Mrs Riffat Javed, who was also a candidate from the same constituency.
The EC order, issued on Saturday, stated that the District Nazim “has denied the allegations when a report was called from him.” However he conceded that his wife was in the run for the elections.
The EC has directed Mr Ahsan Iqbal, the complainant, Mr Javed Safdar Kahion, the district Nazim and his wife, Mrs Riffat Javed, to appear before the judge in his chamber at the LHC on Sept 24 at 12 noon.
The order stated: “To do complete justice in the matter it was necessary that an opportunity of being heard was provided to all the parties in the matter.”