ISLAMABAD - The Election Commission of Pakistan on Monday issued code of conduct for the polls campaign and warned that violators will be liable for two-year imprisonment and one hundred thousand rupees fine.
The code was issued after a high-level meeting held under the chairmanship of Secretary, Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), Mr. Babar Yaqoob Fateh Muhammad that discussed the Code of Conduct relating to holding of Public Rallies, Processions and Election activities by Political Parties and Candidates.
According to ECP, candidates will have to end their election campaign before 48 hours of the polling day. The campaign on media should also be ended on the midnight of 23rd and 24th of this month.
The meeting was held in light of the instructions issued by Prime Minister Nasirul Mulk during his visit to Quetta yesterday directing ECP to launch a campaign for awareness of Code of Conduct issued by ECP pertaining to public rallies, processions and election activities.
It was decided to make an appeal to all political parties and candidates to abide by the Code of Conduct notified by ECP for holding public rallies, processions and election activities.
The meeting expressed the hope that political parties and candidates will keep the local administration in the loop about their election activities, as per the Code of Conduct.
Secretary Interior, Yousaf Naseem Khokhar, Secretary Information, Sardar Ahmad Nawaz Sukhera, Chairman PEMRA Muhammad Saleem and senior officials of ECP also attended the meeting.
Meanwhile, the ECP said that tempering with official documents by election staff will be a crime. Announcing punishment for fraud and dereliction of duty by election staff, ECP said those committing this crime will face six months prison and one hundred thousand fine or both.
The ECP said two years prison and one hundred thousand fine may be awarded for forcing the voters and influencing election results.
