GB court stops ministers, MNAs from canvassing

Published November 14, 2020
Election campaign banners of different political parties are seen on a building ahead of the legislative assembly elections in the city of Gilgit, Gilgit Baltistan on Nov 8. — AFP/File
Election campaign banners of different political parties are seen on a building ahead of the legislative assembly elections in the city of Gilgit, Gilgit Baltistan on Nov 8. — AFP/File

GILGIT: Just 16 hours before close of the poll campaign, the Gilgit-Baltistan Supreme Appellate Court stopped the public office-holders, including ministers and MNAs, from participating in the election campaign.

Pakistan Peoples Party had challenged the Nov 6 order of the Chief Court of Gilgit-Baltistan in which federal minister for Kashmir affairs and MNAs were ordered to leave GB within three days.

Amjad Hussain advocate represented PPP while Munir Ahmed advocate presented arguments on behalf of the Election Commission.

After hearing the arguments, Gilgit-Baltistan Chief Judge Syed Arshad Hussain Shah and senior Judge Justice Wazir Shakeel Ahmed decided the case on Thursday evening.

The court stopped the ministers and MNAs from participating in the election campaign but ordered not to expel them from GB.

Poll security

As many as 134,810 security personnel of police of GB, Punjab, Sindh, KP and Balochistan and GB scouts, Pakistan Rangers and FC will be deployed for security of the polling stations under the election security plan finalised on Friday for Gilgit-Baltistan elections being held on Sunday (tomorrow).

Spokesman for GB caretaker government Faizullah Faraq said a high-level meeting in this regard was held in the central police office, Gilgit.

The meeting was chaired by caretaker chief minister Mir Afzal and attended by chief secretary Khurram Agha, IG police Mujeebur Rehman and other security chiefs.

As many as 1,161 polling stations, including 368 for women, have been established in GB. Of them, 418 polling stations have been declared highly sensitive and 311 sensitive.

Published in Dawn, November 14th, 2020

Opinion

Editorial

Smog hazard
Updated 05 Nov, 2024

Smog hazard

The catastrophe unfolding in Lahore is a product of authorities’ repeated failure to recognise environmental impact of rapid urbanisation.
Monetary policy
05 Nov, 2024

Monetary policy

IN an aggressive move, the State Bank on Monday reduced its key policy rate by a hefty 250bps to 15pc. This is the...
Cultural power
05 Nov, 2024

Cultural power

AS vital modes of communication, art and culture have the power to overcome social and international barriers....
Disregarding CCI
Updated 04 Nov, 2024

Disregarding CCI

The failure to regularly convene CCI meetings means that the process of democratic decision-making is falling apart.
Defeating TB
04 Nov, 2024

Defeating TB

CONSIDERING the fact that Pakistan has the fifth highest burden of tuberculosis in the world as per the World Health...
Ceasefire charade
Updated 04 Nov, 2024

Ceasefire charade

The US talks of peace, while simultaneously arming and funding their Israeli allies, are doomed to fail, and are little more than a charade.