Daily Times

The Commissioner Karachi Muhammad Saleem Rajput has directed all District Returning officers to strictly ensure the implementation of the Election Commission of Pakistan’s code of conduct in letter and spirit.

He said this while presiding over a meeting with senior officers of the Election Commission of Pakistan at the Cabinet Committee Room, Sindh Secretariat late Friday night. The meeting reviewed arrangements made for holding general elections in the Karachi Division in February 2024. The meeting was attended by Joint Provincial Election Commissioner (Admn) Ali Asghar Siyal, joint Provincial Election Commissioner (Election) Nazar Abass, Regional Election Commissioner Abdul Rehman Arain, concerned DROs and ROs the Karachi Division.

The Commissioner asked all DROs and ROs to hold meetings with participating candidates at their offices and make sure that ECP’s Code of Conduct is implemented. The meeting also took notice of complaints of Code of Conduct violations, especially the use of public places and roads for the display of panaflex banners and pamphlets of the candidates belonging to different political parties.

All contesting candidates were asked not to use city roads and other public places for election campaigns as sticking banners and pamphlets over public places is a violation of the Code of Conduct for which structured action would be initiated against the violators.

The District Returning officers and Returning officers briefed the meeting about arrangements made for holding the peaceful, free and fair election on February 08, 2024.

Addressing the meeting, the Commissioner said all efforts would be made to hold impartial, free and fair elections in the division and in this respect, the Election Commission of Pakistan’s directives would be strictly followed. The Commissioner asked the city administration to remove panaflex banners of election candidates from public places and roads.

The DROs and ROs informed the meeting that all arrangements were finalized for holding general elections while sensitive polling stations have been identified where CCTV cameras would be installed to avoid any untoward incidents.