Peshawar power show: ECP issues notice to Bilawal for violating election rules

PESHAWAR: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has issued show-cause notices to Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and other party leaders for holding a public gathering in Peshawar ahead of local bodies elections, ARY News reported.

A similar notice was also issued to PPP leaders, who visited Peshawar as well, including Nisar Khuhro, CM Murad Ali Shah, Saeed Ghani, Syed Khursheed Shah, Qadir Patel and others.

As per Para 17 of the ECP’s Code of Conduct, no member of parliament can visit a constituency where elections are scheduled after the dates for the election have been notified.

PPP had organised a public rally in Peshawar in connection with the party’s 54th foundation day event.

Earlier in October, ECP had announced a schedule for local government’s polls in Khyber Pakthunkhwa, which would be conducted in two phases across the province.

According to ECP, the first phase elections would be held in 17 districts on December 19, 2021, while in the second phase, polls would be conducted in 18 districts on January 16, 2022.

Earlier, the KP cabinet had approved Local Councils Conduct of Election Rules 2020. The KP local bodies system had completed its tenure during August 2020.

The Supreme Court (SC) today rejected Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government’s plea for changing the schedule of the local government (LG) polls,