Pak General Elections 2024: Top poll body imposes fine on candidates for violating code of conduct

Islamabad [Pakistan], January 20 (ANI): The Election Commission of Pakistan monitoring teams fined all candidates running in the 2024 general elections a total of (PKR) 85,000 for “violating” the election code in different constituencies around the nation, reported ARY News.

Noor Muhammad, a Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) candidate from PB-07 (Ziarat), was fined (PKR) 40,000 for breaking the election code of conduct, according to the ECP.

Whereas Zulfiqar Khan, running from PK-58, was fined (PKR) 25,000 in Mardan, while Gohar Ali Shah, the ANP’s candidate from PK-54, was fined (PKR) 10,000. Jamshed Khan of the PML-N from PK-61 was fined (PKR) 10,000, ARY News reported.

A PML-N candidate from Islamabad was the subject of a notice from the top poll body earlier on Thursday for allegedly “violating” the code of conduct.

Anjum Aqeel Khan, the PML-N candidate from NA-46 (Islamabad), has been instructed by the District Monitoring Officer (DMO) to appear in person or through his counsel on January 21, according to ARY News.

The PML-N candidate reportedly got notice from the ECP for organising a car rally in Islamabad’s sectors G-11, G-13, and H-13 without the administration’s approval.

The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and the PML-N are eyeing to form governments in the centre, with PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari confidently saying that the elections are now just between two parties as the PTI is out of the electoral race — since its candidates will be running independently.

With general elections set to take place on February 8, Khan’s hopes were shattered to contest as the Lahore High Court (LHC) earlier this week turned down his appeal against the rejection of nomination papers.

The high court upheld the decisions of the returning officer (RO) and appellate tribunal given against acceptance of the disqualified former premier’s nomination papers from NA-122 and NA-89 constituencies, Geo News reported.