Azad Jammu and Kashmir Chief Election Commissioner Justice (r) Abdul Rashid Sulehria has requested Prime Minister Imran Khan to ensure that ministers observe the code of conduct set for the July 25 elections to the AJK Legislative Assembly.
The development comes after a video began circulating on social media which shows Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit Baltistan Ali Amin Gandapur handing over a thick bundle of cash to some supporters in AJK’s LA-1 Mirpur 1 constituency where he had gone to campaign this week.
The chief election commissioner wrote a letter to the prime minister, requesting him to issue directives in writing to the federal government ministers who are participating in the election, as well as to the provincial government, to ensure that no individual violates the code of conduct specified by the AJK government. “It is important to mention that violation of any provision of Code of Conduct by any person during election campaign of a candidate may end up [in] disqualification of the candidate concerned,” the letter states.
Sulehria also wrote a separate letter to the premier to apprise him of the code of conduct itself. “Let me take this opportunity to appraise your good self that AJK Election Commission has promulgated a Code of Conduct 2021 for strict observance by all political parties, candidates and polling staff who are deputed for administration of election process in order to ensure that elections are conducted fairly, justly and in most transparent manner in all respects without causing any intimidation or coercion upon the free exercise of right of franchise by the electors,” the letter begins by saying.
The letter goes on to state that the code “strongly prohibits any kind of pronouncement in terms of financial or development package or any kind of attraction by political parties, contesting candidates and their sympathisers to secure favour from electors for any contesting candidate except their party manifesto”.
Sulehria said that the request is made “to ensure that the AJK General Elections […] be conducted in a transparent and independent manner without causing any blame for the misuse of state resources by holders of public office”.
