The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Wednesday disposed of the election code of conduct violation case against Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and other party leaders.
Peshawar District Monitoring Officer (DMO) Saeed Ahmad Khan had imposed a fine of Rs50,000 each on Bilawal and Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah for violation of the election code of conduct during the local government polls in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The two leaders had addressed a rally in Peshawar to celebrate the party’s Foundation Day.
The DMO also imposed fine on a number of other PPP lawmakers, including Khursheed Shah, Saeed Ghani, Nisar Ahmad Khuhro and Qadir Patel, for addressing the public meeting despite the announcement of local government elections, which took place on December 19 in 17 districts of KP. The fine imposed on the six party members has also been cancelled. The written decision issued by the ECP states that the DMO did not give any decision, nor did he refer the matter to the commission.
“Other parties, including Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, have assured implementation of the code of conduct,” the decision added.
Earlier, in an appeal filed with the ECP, the PPP leaders stated that the rally in Peshawar was related to the party’s Foundation Day and it was not related to electioneering.
Furthermore, they added that the election code of conduct did not prohibit any political activities.
Ministers pardoned
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Wednesday accepted the apologies tendered by Federal Railways Minister Azam Swati and Information Minister Chaudhry Fawad for their remarks against the commission.
A two-member bench headed by Nisar Ahmed Durrani accepted the apologies of the two ministers.
The duo had passed comments against the electoral commission on September 10. During a Senate Standing Committee on Parliamentary Affairs’s meeting, held with the aim of discussing proposed amendments to the Elections (Amendment) Act, 2021, Swati had alleged that the commission ‘always rigged polls’ and should be ‘set on fire’.
On the other hand, Fawad had put forth allegations of bribery against the ECP. In October, the ECP had issued a show-cause notice to Swati and Fawad for their comments.
Following the notice, Fawad submitted his apology on November 16, while Swati did so on December 3.
Wednesday’s hearing witnessed Swati appearing before the ECP and stating that he had always raised voice with the aim of making the commission independent. In response, the minister was asked to avoid making comments against institutions. Swati later thanked the ECP for accepting his apology and assured measures to strengthen it.
