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GILGIT: Gilgit-Baltistan Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Raja Shahbaz Khan on Friday advised political leaders to go back instead of spoiling the atmosphere.
Addressing a press conference in Gilgit on Friday, he directed the Returning Officers (ROs) to keep their offices open round the clock.
The Gilgit-Baltistan CEC also summoned an all parties conference on Saturday and leaders of all political parties will come tomorrow and give their suggestions.
He said that notices have also been issued to 41 candidates of Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP), 30 candidates of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), 3 candidates of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam, six candidates of Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q), five candidates of Islami Tehreek, while 18 Independent candidates for violating elections rules.
The CEC went on to say that it was better for the political leaders to go back than to spoil the atmosphere in the area, adding that any candidate found using religious or sectarian card will be disqualified.
“The RO doesn’t have the power and Diamer s RO had issued a false circular against Ali Ameen Gandapur,” he added.
He said: “A total of 1234 polling stations have been set up across the province so far out of which 415 are highly sensitive, adding that the number of polling stations can also be increased if required.”
Meanwhile, the Gilgit-Baltistan Chief Court ordered federal ministers and government officials to leave region in three days.
A two-member bench comprising Justice Malik Haq Nawaz and Justice Ali Baig announced the verdict on a writ petition filed over violation of the code of conduct ahead of the upcoming polls.
The court also directed Gilgit-Baltistan’s Chief Election Commissioner Raja Shahbaz Khan, Chief Minister, and Chief Secretary to implement the decision immediately.
Earlier, PPP leader Sherry Rehman had lamented that Prime Minister Imran Khan and federal ministers violated the electoral code of conduct by running political campaigns and urged the CEC to take notice.
“The prime minister and a federal minister is running the campaign of their party illegally in Gilgit-Baltistan, which is clear violation of the code of conduct of the elections and a pre-polling rigging,” she had said.
Rehman added that the federal ministers were addressing corner meetings and announcing development projects in the campaign none of which was not allowed after the announcement of the Gilgit-Baltistan election schedule.
The PPP had also written a complaint letter to the GB CEC about Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan Ali Amin Gandapur allegedly violating the electoral code of conduct by campaigning in the elections for the PTI.
“Gandapur’s speeches are being telecast by several channels in which he is shown making electoral
promises to the electorate,” PPP Election Cell In-charge Taj Haider had said in the letter.
Haider had stated in a letter that the Returning Officer of GBA 16 Diamer-II Chilas had taken notice of Gandapur’s forthcoming visit and restrained him from “participating in election campaign in any manner whatsoever”.
GB’s caretaker government of GB had nominated through an office order government officials in 10 districts to assist the visiting minister from October 28 to November 16, he added, noting that it was a blatant violation of the code of conduct and also in open defiance of the circular.
