CEC AJK urges PM to stop ministers from violating code of conduct

MUZAFFARABAD: Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Justice retired Rasheed Sulheria has urged Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan to stop federal and provincial ministers from violating the electoral code of conduct for Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) polls.

In a letter, penned to the premier after a video showing federal minister Ali Amin Gandapur distributing cash, the CEC has said that no government resources should be used against or in favor of any political party.

The minister should be barred from violating the code of conduct released for the legislative assembly polls. “The federal, AJK and provincial governments should ensure transparent and impartial polls.”

The candidate will be declared ineligible if the authorities find any violation in his constituency, the commissioner clarified.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), the current ruling party of the AJK, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and other parties are currently running their elections campaigns in the valley.

Read more: AJK polls: Teams formed to monitor election campaigns

The elections for the legislative assembly of Azad Kashmir will be held on Sunday, July 25, 2021.

As many as 32,20,546 Kashmiris could cast their votes in the forthcoming elections, including15,19,347 male and 12,97,747 female voters.

The AJK elections will be held to elect 45 representatives of the legislative assembly, including 33 in Azad Kashmir and 12 for Kashmiri migrants.