- PTI chief says will move LHC against ECP ban on MPs from participating in by-poll campaigns
- Says ban illogical as he isn’t holding any administrative office in govt
- Info Minister Pervaiz Rashid says ballot exercise could turn into wrestling match if PTI flouts ECP ban
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Sunday reiterated his objection to the Election of Pakistan’s imposition of a ban on all parliamentarians from participating in by-election campaigns, and said that he would approach the Lahore High Court (LHC) and ECP regarding the matter.
The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), on the other hand, said that it would not allow the PTI and its chief to violate the code of conduct set by the ECP for the upcoming by-polls in Punjab’s NA-122 and NA-154 constituencies, warning that the ballot exercise could turn into a Dangal (wrestling) if the party tried to violate the ECP code.
KHAN ADAMANT ON LEADING POLL CAMPAIGNS:
Addressing a press conference at his party’s secretariat in Lahore, Imran Khan said, “As a leader of a party, I want to convey my party’s manifesto to the masses and if am not allowed to do so, what kind of democracy is this?”
The PTI chief also announced that his party would hold a conference on October 4 to address the pressing issue, saying that he was right in demanding participation in the campaigns since he does not hold any administrative position in the government.
Earlier on September 16, the polls regulatory authority had barred all parliamentarians from visiting and taking part in campaigning for by-elections in NA-122 (Lahore) and NA-154 (Lodhran-I) constituencies where tough competition is expected between PTI and PML-N.
The ECP had issued a notification asking all the members of parliament and provincial assemblies not to visit constituencies where by-elections are taking place. The directives are part of a new code of conduct the ECP issued recently.
Meanwhile, criticising the ruling PML-N, the PTI chief alleged that Pakistan Steel Mills halted its operation because the Sharif family had their own steel business. “The Steel Mills were closed down because Sharif family wanted to expand their business.”
Khan also labeled Punjab police as ‘thugs’ and exhorted his party activists to stay vigilant and capture with the help of their cell phones any wrongdoings committed by the law enforcers on the eve of upcoming by-elections in Punjab.
Khan said his candidates would defeat ‘those who stole the public mandate’ in the 2013 general elections.
RASHID HITS BACK AT KHAN:
Reacting to the PTI chief’s criticism of the ECP and the PML-N, Federal Minister for Information Pervaiz Rashid called Imran Khan the ‘de-facto chief minister’ of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa ‘who takes the province’s decisions at Bani Gala’.
Addressing a press conference, Rashid said Imran Khan does not abide by any code of conduct.
“If he (Imran Khan) fails to accept and follow the code of conduct laid out by the ECP, it would turn the ballot exercise into a fighting arena,” he warned.
He said the ECP has barred assembly members from participating in the election campaign. This restriction applies to PTI just the way it does to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
Coming down hard on Imran Khan he said: “Even when the KP chief minister has to walk, he does that by holding the finger of Imran Khan.”
He claimed that KP government did not even spend a single penny on hydroelectric projects.