ISLAMABAD, Jan 24 (APP): The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) Wednesday directed the provincial governments to stop local government (LG) officials from supporting candidates in their election campaigns with the warning of severe consequences in case of defiance by the latter.
The ECP, in a letter addressed to provincial chief secretaries and election commissioners, stated that it had observed elected representatives and officials from local governments actively supporting candidates by providing manpower and utilizing government machinery during their election campaigns.
“This constitutes a violation of the code of conduct and goes against the principle of providing equal opportunities to all candidates,” it added.
The ECP asked the elected representatives and LG officials to discontinue the practices, as failure to do so would result in severe consequences.
The Commission also directed the district monitoring teams to diligently oversee the election campaign and enforce disciplinary measures against any unlawful activities.
