ECP serves show-cause notice to Firdous Awan over code of conduct violation

DASKA: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Saturday has issued show-cause notices to Special Assistant to Chief Minister Punjab, Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan and Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) senior vice president Chaudhry Saleem over the violation of the election code of conduct during NA-75 Daska by-poll.

Show-cause notices have been served to Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan and Chaudhry Saleem over the violation of the election code of conduct and both of them have been asked to submit their response within 48 hours.

According to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), Chaudhry Saleem visited the constituency on April 9, (yesterday)  and violated the code of conduct by announcing a development package worth Rs500 million, while Dr Firdous in her press conference, yesterday, had also violated the ECP’s code of conduct by announcing development package for the constituency, a day before the by-poll in NA-75 Daska.

Voting in the National Assembly constituency NA-75 Daska by-election is underway for the seat that fell vacant due to the death of PML-N MNA Iftikharul Hassan.

The polling that begun at 8 in the morning will continue till 5 pm without any break. 360 polling stations have been made for the 4,94000 registered voters in the constituency.

Read more: Voting underway for NA-75 Daska by-election

A close contest is expected between PTI’s Ali Asjad Malhi and PML-N’s Nosheen Iftikhar in today’s NA-75 Daska by-polls.

On Feb 25, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had ordered re-election in the NA-75 Sialkot-Daska constituency over alleged rigging and irregularities.

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) had challenged the Election Commission of Pakistan’s decision to order re-polling at all polling stations in NA-75.

However, the Supreme Court (SC) had upheld the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) decision to hold re-polling in the entire National Assembly constituency NA-75 in Daska.