Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's (PTI) top leadership has challenged a notice by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), which said some party leaders violated its code of conduct at an election rally in Lower Dir, ahead of local elections in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Aaj News reported.

Prime Minister Imran Khan and Minister for Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives Asad Umar challenged on Thursday the ECP's notice in the Islamabad High Court (IHC).

IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah has accepted the petition, in which the ECP and the federation have been named.

In a tweet, Umar said "due process has been followed for issuance of ordinance allowing public office holders to campaign".

PML-N to approach ECP against PM’s Lower Dir speech

Separately, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on March 12 planned to approach the ECP against PM Imran's address at the same election rally, where he lashed out at PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif, Pakistan Peoples Party co-chair Asif Ali Zardari, and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, labelling them the “three stooges”.

The decision to approach the ECP was taken in a meeting of senior PML-N leadership, in which they also reviewed preparations for the no-confidence motion against the prime minister.

PML-N insiders said the PM and other government ministers’ addresses to the election rallies in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa were in violation of the ECP code of conduct, ahead of the next phase of local bodies elections, scheduled to be held on March 31.