Islamabad votes to elect first-ever mayor

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APP
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Islamabad votes to elect first-ever mayor

ISLAMABAD: As many as 77 elected office bearers of Islamabad Metropolitan Corporation (IMC) will elect the first ever mayor and three deputy mayors of the Federal Capital today (Monday). 

The election will take place through secret ballot at the Jinnah Convention Centre according to an Election Commission spokesman.

The polling will last for eight hours from 9 am to 5 pm, the spokesman added.

Chairpersons from 50 union councils of Federal Capital along with 27 members from reserved seats will elect the mayor and deputy mayors.

The aspirant candidates of different political parties had filed their nomination papers for the seats of a mayor and deputies.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) Sheikh Ansar Aziz had filed nomination papers for the office of Mayor of the Federal Capital along with his three deputy mayors Zeeshan Ali Naqvi Chaudhry, Rifhat Javed and Muhammad Azam.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) Raja Khuram Nawaz would contest for the seat of mayor while Ali Nawaz Awan Raja Zulqarnain Haider and Fozia Arshad would contest for the seats of deputy mayors respectively, he said.

The PML-N, which is far ahead of its competitors, is expected to sweep the election of mayor.

It is pertinent to mention here that the Capital Development Authority (CDA) had already proposed the offices for the mayor and deputy mayors in CDA’s revenue building (Iqbal Hall) and old Navel Headquarter.

Meanwhile, the ECP also issued the code of conduct for upcoming Elections of a Mayor and deputy mayors (ICT), barring Federal Executive Authorities to influence elections in favour of a particular candidate or a political party.

The decision was taken to ensure that elections in Metropolitan Corporation are conducted fairly, said the spokesman.

The ECP directs that all executive authorities in the Federation will not use state resources in local government elections with the aim to influence elections in favour of a particular candidate or a political party.

If any person in government service misuses his official position in any manner in order to influence results of elections he shall be liable to be proceeded against under Section 60 of the Islamabad Capital Territory Local Government Act 2015, he added.

Any holder of public office who is found to have violated any provision of election laws or the instructions issued by the Election Commission shall be proceeded against as mandated in law, he added.

Moreover, the office of the Election Commission as well as the offices of District Returning Officer and Returning Officer shall remain open on all public holidays during the schedule period.