Daily Times

LAHORE: A case would be registered against candidates for keeping more than two guards for security until the 2018 elections.

Also, any candidate or political party cannot carry out a rally or hold a public meeting without getting permission from the district administration.

This was informed in a meeting that was called on District Returning Officer (DRO) Abid Hussain Qureshi at Alhamra Arts Council’s Hall-II on Saturday.

The purpose of the meeting was to beware candidates about the Code of Conduct of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), ensuring them to follow it.

The meeting was chaired by DRO Abid Hussain Qureshi. Deputy Inspector General Operations Lahore Shahzad Akbar, Deputy Commissioner and DRO Lahore Captain (r) Anwarul Haq, police officers and district administration along with candidates of different political parties and independent candidates participated in a meeting.

It is pertinent to mention that no major candidate of any party did not attend the meeting.

Abid Hussain Qureshi has appealed to the candidates of the National Assembly and Punjab Assembly who are contesting elections from the tickets of different political parties and also independently, to ensure the implementation of the ECP’s Code of Conduct regarding General Election 2018. He also requested DMO Lahore Anwarul Haq to dispose of the notices which were issued to 22 candidates on Friday over violating the publicity code of conduct of ECP. DRO said that he hoped election would be transparent and held on time.

DIG Operations said that police is doing arrangements for ensuring foolproof security regarding General Election 2018. He said that army personnel will depute along with police on sensitive polling stations and no one police personnel will perform duty inside of the polling station. He also informed that each candidate can get maximum two security guards for their protection. Candidates are bound to submit details of each guard to police before hiring them. He said that police would be registered a case and take strict action against violators in case of not to pay heed from the candidates.

DMO Lahore directed candidates to follow the publicity code of conduct of ECP, as well enforcement teams continued crackdown vigorously on upsize posters and steamers for removing it in the provincial metropolis.

Published in Daily Times, July 8^th 2018.