Election campaign: PPP urges CEC to place restrictions on LGs’ mayors, chairmen, nazims

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has written a letter to Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja to restrict mayor/chairman/Nazim from participating in election campaigns.

The letter has been written by PPP’s Central Election Cell Incharge Senator Taj Haider to the CEC.

According to the letter, “We have the honour to draw your kind attention to Section 18 of the Code of Conduct in which, ‘mayo r/chairman/Nazim have also been restricted from participating in election campaigns.”

The letter further stated, “as you are aware there is no law which prohibits mayor/chairman/Nazim of Local Governments from contesting elections on a general seat for Provincial and National assemblies and presently there are many cases in which those elected in the Local Government elections are filing nomination papers for contesting on PA and NA seats in the forthcoming general elections. These candidates, naturally have to run and lead their election campaigns.

“We also wish to point out to your honour that in the province of Punjab appointed village councils have replaced the constitutionally mandated local governments and these appointed persons are fully participating in the election campaign of a certain political party. As a matter of fact there are widespread reports that the village councils are providing jobs and contracts to the loyalists of that particular political party.

You may be pleased to recall that in the meeting of our delegation with your good self we had pointed out the illegality of the appointed village councils in Punjab and your honour had concurred in principle with our point of view.”

The letter further says, “There is already a ban on the use of government resources in election campaigns you may be pleased to direct that section 18 of the Code of Conduct may be so amended as to exclude the names of ‘mayor/chairman/Nazim’ from the list of those who cannot participate in election campaigns.

Secondly, your honour may be pleased to order that appointed village councils in the Province of Punjab may be dismissed with immediate effect.”

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023