NAWABSHAH: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s candidate Sardar Sher Mohammad Rind, the only serious rival of Pakistan Peoples Party co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari from among 12 contestants for NA-207 (Nawabshah-I), and Grand Democratic Alliance’s candidate Irfanullah Marwat were issued show-cause notices over violation of the Election Commission of Pakistan’s code of conduct on Monday.

Mr Rind was issued a notice under Section 234(3) of the Elections Act by Ahmed Ali Soomro, additional commissioner and district monitoring officer for general elections, on charges of issuing threats to his opponents.

The notice addressed to Mr Rind, who was contesting as independent after his party was deprived of its electoral symbol, read that it was reported by the monitoring team of Shaheed Benazirabad and also revealed through social and electronic media that he (Mr Rind) had made an abusive or threatening speech against the other candidates in violation of the code of conduct of the Election Rules of the Elections Act, 2017.

The notice asked Mr Rind to appear in person or through his counsel before the monitoring officer on Jan 25 to explain his position on the violation of the code of conduct and the relevant directions issued by the ECP.

The ECP on Monday also issued a show-cause notice to senior politician and GDA’s candidate for PS-105 (Karachi East-IX), Irfanullah Mar­wat, over violation of the code of conduct.

In a statement issued in Karachi, the commission asked the Sindh IGP to take strict legal action in this regard and said the district monitoring officer had issued the show-cause to Mr Marwat over aerial firing in a corner meeting organised by his political party. Mr Marwat had two days to reply to the notice.

DRO East Dr Mohsin Ali said in the notice: “The undersigned has received a complaint from ECP that during the corner meeting of your party, aerial firing was carried out to show off power of your party and harass the opponents by showing aggressive attitude and threat to other contesting candidates.”

It concluded: “Keeping in view the gravity of the situation on the basis of available evidence of viral video clip, you are hereby directed to reply in your defense that why further necessary action as an illegal practice may not be taken”.

Mr Marwat is contesting on a GDA ticket for PS-105 (Karachi East-IX) against PPP’s Saeed Ghani and others while the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan is also supporting the former in the constituency.

Polling staff absent from training

The provincial election commissioner of Sindh, Sharifullah, has expressed serious concern over polling staff’s absence from and lack of interest in training sessions the commission organised for them.

According to a statement, the officer issued strict directives to the DROs and ROs across the province to take strict action against the polling staff for not attending the training sessions and ensure 100 per cent attendance.

375 booked for displaying weapons

Jacobabad police booked 375 people in two FIRs lodged at different police stations on charges of displaying weapons at an independent candidate’s rally and at a corner meeting held for garnering support for a Pakistan Peoples Party contestant in Garhi Khero taluka on Monday.

Sources said that Dodapur police registered a case on behalf of the state against 25 identified and 175 unidentified people, who were accused of displaying weapons while welcoming their independent candidate at a rally on Garhi Khairo Road.

Meanwhile, Garhi khero police registered a separate case against 175 people for showing off weapons at a corner meeting held for garnering support for the PPP candidate Mir Aijaz Ahmed Jakhrani.

The sources said that Kalashnikov rifles and rockets were showed off openly at the rally and the corner meeting in Garhi Khero four days ago.

Published in Dawn, January 23rd, 2024