The deputy commissioner of Dera Ismail Khan on Saturday rejected the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl’s (JUI-F) request for permission to hold a public rally in the city. The district administration denied permission for the rally on the directives of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). The deputy commissioner said he cannot allow the opposition party to hold a rally following the directives of the election monitoring body. JUI-F wanted to hold a rally in connection with the second phase of local government elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). Party chief Maulana Fazlur Reham was to address the rally. On Friday, the ECP served a notice on the JUI-F chief’s brother Zia-ur-Rehman for flouting election code of conduct. Rehman, a government official, was served the notice for his participation in the election campaign. He has been summoned by the district returning officer (DRO) for running the campaign of the JUI-F candidate, Kafil Nizami, who has also been directed to appear before the DRO on February 05. The commission restrained the district administration from allowing JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman to hold a public gathering on February 5 and 7.