PESHAWAR: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has asked the provincial government to take disciplinary action against JUI-F Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s brother Ziaur Rehman, a bureaucrat, for violating the election act during the Local Government election campaign in Dera Ismail Khan.
The ECP took notice after Ziaur Rehman attended a political gathering in support of the JUI-F candidate Kafeel Nizami for the city council Dera Ismail Khan on Feb 3.
The provincial election commissioner Muhammad Raziq to chief secretary Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Dr Shehzad Bangash to launch departmental action for violating the election act which prohibits government officials from taking part in elections of participating in election campaigns.
The letter states that participation in such political activities is a sheer violation of section 187 of the Election Act 2017. It also mentions the relevant sections of law as well as the penalties in case of violation by a government official.
“He has addressed political gathering arranged in Iqbal Marriage Hall, Zafarabad Colony in Dera Ismail Khan on February 3, as part of election campaign of JUI-F candidate Mohammad Kafeel Nizami,” says the letter. It added that the participation of Ziaur Rehman in the electioneering is also the violation of section-24 of Government Servants Efficiency and Disciplinary Rules, 1964.
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Section 187 of Election Act states: “A person in the service of Pakistan is guilty of violation of official duty in connecting with an election, if he misuses his official position in a manner calculated to influence the results of the elections.”
The provincial election commissioner has also mentioned the punishment in the letter for such violations. The LG polls in city council Dera Ismail Khan are being held on February 13. The elections were postponed in the first phase on December 19 after the murder of one of the candidates for the slot of mayor.
JUI-F candidate Mohammad Kafeel Nizami was fined Rs 50,000 for the violation of the code of conduct and printing pictures of a Ziaur Rehman on publicity material.
