GDA candidate faces ECP wrath over 'aerial firing during election rally'

• District monitoring officer serves show-cause notice to Marwat.
• Sindh IGP ordered to take strict action against PS-105 candidate.
• Said election campaigner accused of violating code's clause 17.

ISLAMABAD: Taking strict notice of “aerial firing” during an election rally in a Karachi constituency, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) ordered action against the Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) candidate Irfanullah Khan Marwat.

The country's top electoral body issued directives to the Sindh Inspector General Police (IGP) to carry out strict action against the GDA candidate following the incident of “aerial firing” during electioneering in Karachi East district, in violation of the ECP’s code of conduct.

The provincial police chief has been ordered to formally inform the commission regarding the legal proceedings against Marwat – a candidate from the provincial seat, PS-105 Karachi East-IX.

According to the ECP’s spokesperson, the district monitoring officer served a show-cause notice to the candidate over violation of the code’s clause 17 and asked him to submit his reply in two days.

Ahead of the February 8 nationwide polls, the commission also issued a notification addressing candidates and political parties to mandatory conclude electioneering including rallies, corner meetings and all genres of political activities in the night between February 6 and 7.

The order warned of legal action against the violators of the Election Act 2017’s Section 182.

As the country gears up to vote, nearly 18,000 candidates are set to compete in the big contest to grab general seats in the National and provincial legislatures, as per The News.

The ECP released its final list of contesting candidates for the NA and provincial assemblies on Form-33 yesterday.

Among these 17,816 candidates, at least 11,785 will contest independently, while 6,031 will compete under the banner of their respective political parties.