ECP summons Rana Sanaullah for by-poll code breach

FAISALABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has summoned Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah on September 7 for violating the code of conduct in by-polls in Faisalabad, ARY News reported.

The ECP said that complaints along with pictorial evidences had been received about Federal Minister Rana Sanaullah’s visit to constituency NA-108 where a by-election is taking place.

“You are required to submit your written statement in person or through authorised agent before the district monitoring officer on Sept 7 to explain as to why your case be not initiated under the law,” the ECP notice read.

According to the ECP code of conduct, the public office-holders including president, prime minister, chairman/deputy chairman senate, speaker/deputy speaker of an assembly, federal ministers, ministers of state, governors, chief ministers, provincial ministers, and advisers to the prime minister and the chief minister, mayor/chairman/Nazim, their deputies, cannot participate in the by-polls campaigns.

Earlier, the election body issued a notice to the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) candidate Abid Sher Ali for the by-polls in NA-108 over a violation of ECP’s electoral code of conduct.

The District Returning Officer had issued a notice to Abid Sher Ali for reportedly organizing announcements regarding relief in electric bills from mosques. Abid has violated para 42 of the electoral code of conduct, the ECP notice read.

It is to be noted that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chief Imran Khan would take on Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) leader Abid Sher Ali in the NA-108 Faisalabad by-polls.