ECP issues show-cause notice to Bilawal, others for Larkana visit ahead of by-election

Published October 13, 2019
PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari visited Larkana on Saturday to spearhead the election campaign of his party’s candidate in the by-polls in the Sindh Assembly constituency PS-11. — DawnNewsTV/File
PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari visited Larkana on Saturday to spearhead the election campaign of his party’s candidate in the by-polls in the Sindh Assembly constituency PS-11. — DawnNewsTV/File

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) issued a show-cause notice to PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and other party leaders for visiting Larkana's PS-11 constituency ahead of a by-election.

Bilawal had visited Larkana on Saturday to spearhead the election campaign of his party’s candidate, Jamil Soomro, in the by-polls in the Sindh Assembly constituency PS-11, scheduled to be held on Oct 17. The PPP chief addressed party’s rallies in Nazar Mohalla and Pakistan Chowk areas of Larkana.

As per Para 17 of the ECP's Code of Conduct, no member of parliament can visit a constituency where by-elections are scheduled after the dates for the election have been notified.

In its notification dated October 12, ECP directed the PPP chairman to "explain [his] position" within a day and warned that failure to do so will result in disciplinary action.

"Being a member of the National Assembly, you were fully aware about the announcement of schedule of by-election," the notification read.

A similar notice was also issued to PPP leaders, who visited Larkana as well, including Nisar Khuhro, Sharjeel Memon, Syed Nasir Shah, Khursheed Ahmed Junejo, Sohail Anwar Siyal and others, with the same instructions.

The ECP had announced that by-elections be held in PS-11 after Grand Democratic Alliance's Moazzam Abbasi was deseated by the Supreme Court in August.

Opinion

Editorial

Trump 2.0
Updated 07 Nov, 2024

Trump 2.0

It remains to be seen how his promises to bring ‘peace’ to Middle East reconcile with his blatantly pro-Israel bias.
Fait accompli
07 Nov, 2024

Fait accompli

A SLEW of secretively conceived and hastily enacted legislation has achieved its intended result: the powers of the...
IPP contracts
07 Nov, 2024

IPP contracts

THE government expects the ongoing ‘negotiations’ with power producers aimed at revising the terms of sovereign...
Rushed legislation
Updated 06 Nov, 2024

Rushed legislation

For all its stress on "supremacy of parliament", the ruling coalition has wasted no opportunity to reiterate where its allegiances truly lie.
Jail reform policy
06 Nov, 2024

Jail reform policy

THE state is making a fresh attempt to improve conditions in Pakistan’s penitentiaries by developing a national...
BISP overhaul
06 Nov, 2024

BISP overhaul

IT has emerged that the spouses of over 28,500 Sindh government employees have been illicitly benefiting from BISP....