Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Election Commission Friday issued a code of conduct in the wake of general elections scheduled to be held on 25th of July – next month.
According to the code of conduct; (1) Without prejudice to subsection (2), all political parties and candidates shall strictly adhere to the following code of conduct.
(i) the parties and candidates shall abide by all the laws, rules, regulations and directions issued by the commission, from time to time, relating to smooth conduct of elections and the maintenance of public order.
(ii) incitements to violence or show of arms, resort to violence during meetings, procession or during polling hours shall be strictly avoided by contesting candidates and their supporters.
(iii) contesting candidates shall dissuade their workers or sympathizers from destroying any ballot paper or any official mark on the ballot paper or any other material used for election process.
(iv) wall chalking as part of an election campaign shall be prohibited in all forms.
(v) no person or a political party shall affix posters, hoardings or banners, if any, larger than the size determined by the commissioner;
(vi) contesting candidates and their supporters shall refrain from speeches calculated to arouse parochial and sectarian feelings and controversy of conflicts between genders, sects, communities and linguistic groups.
(vii) the political parties and contesting candidates and their supporters shall refrain from deliberate dissimilation of false and malicious information and shall not indulge in forgeries or dis-information to defame other political parties/leaders. The use of abusive language against the leaders and the candidates shall be avoided at all cost.
(i) the political parties and candidates shall firmly refrain their workers from exerting undue pressure against the print and electronic media, including newspaper offices and printing press and resorting to violence of any kind against the media.
(ii) the political parties shall endeavor to take necessary steps to ensure discipline within the party, its candidates, employees and supporters and guide them to follow this code, comply with laws and regulation, and commit no election irregularities.
1) In addition to the code of conduct mentioned in sub-section (1), the commission may issue before an election additional code of conduct as may be deemed necessary for free, fair and transparent election and to ensure law and order situation in consultation with representatives of all political parties.
(2) The code of conduct issued under sub-section (1) and (2), shall be binding on all concerned.
(3) The returning officer and district magistrate shall be responsible for implementation of the code of conduct issued under this section.
(4) Whoever contravenes the provision of the code of conduct issued under this section shall be liable to punishment with imprisonment which may extend to one year or with fine which may extend or Rs100,000 or with both.