In response to alleged interference by interim ministers in matters relatedto Pakistan’s upcoming general elections, the Election Commission ofPakistan (ECP) has directed the issuance of a notice to Caretaker PrimeMinister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar, as reported by The News on Friday.
A five-member ECP panel, led by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar SultanRaja, convened to address this issue on Thursday. During the session, theadditional advocate general (AAG) mentioned that the electoral authorityhad not previously issued any notice regarding the case.
As a result, the commission instructed the issuance of a notice to thecaretaker prime minister and adjourned the case’s hearing until thefollowing Tuesday. Furthermore, the ECP designated the symbol “Eagle” tothe Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP), which was formerly associated with thenow-dissolved All Pakistan Muslim League (APM-L), a political partyestablished by the late President Pervez Musharraf.
A three-member ECP bench, presided over by Chief Election CommissionerSikandar Sultan Raja and including ECP members Nisar Ahmed Durrani andJustice (R) Ikram Ullah Khan, issued this decision after hearing the caseon October 23. Additionally, the electoral body issued an order regardingthe enforcement of the code of conduct for a by-election in NA-24,Charsadda-II, last year.
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The order involved PTI Chairman Imran Khan and the then Chief Minister ofKhyber Pakhtunkhwa, Mehmood Khan. A three-member bench, led by Nisar AhmedDurrani, acknowledged the clarity of the code of conduct, emphasizing thatthe Chief Minister could not partake in an election campaign for a specificcandidate or utilize state resources.
However, the bench accepted the plea presented by the respondents’ counseland withdrew the notice issued to them on September 19, 2022.