Bilawal issued with show-cause notice over July 1 rally

A show-cause notice has been issued to Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari over his presumed violation of electoral code of conduct by staging a rally in Lyari on July 1.

District South Deputy Commissioner Syed Salahuddin Ahmed served the show-cause notice as the district monitoring officer for the July 25 general elections. He said that no prior permission or no-objection certificate was obtained by Bilawal, a PPP candidate for NA-246, from the district administration for the rally.

Addressing a news conference on Tuesday, the party demanded that the notice be withdrawn at the earliest. PPP Karachi President Saeed Ghani claimed that the party had permission from the district administration and the local police for the rally.

Ghani said Bilawal did not stage a formal election rally, but he was only visiting Lyari, adding that no candidate can be stopped from visiting the constituency where he is fielded. The PPP city chief said it is wrong to state that the police had no prior knowledge about the visit, adding that the relevant police authorities had been intimated about the areas chosen for the visit.

He said the notice was served as an attempt to cover up the administration’s failure in handling the situation in Lyari on July 1 by pinning the responsibility on the PPP.

He reiterated his party’s stance that the police had registered a criminal case of the violent incident in Lyari on behalf of the state. “We also have reservations on certain names nominated in the FIR, as the police case mentions some people who were not even present there.”

On the occasion, Rana Iftikhar, a ticket holder of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) for PS-104, announced his support for Ghani, the PPP candidate contesting for the constituency. Ghani thanked Iftikhar for announcing his support.

Iftikhar said his constituency has been constantly ignored by the local leadership of his party, adding that he had to face the repercussions of the wrong decisions made by the leadership of his party.

He said he did not get the expected support from the supporters and voters of his party in the constituency. “I am and will continue to remain a solider of the PML-N, but I announce withdrawing in favour of Ghani.”

Code of conduct

The show-cause notice, dated July 2, reads: “Section 41 of the code of conduct for general elections 2018, issued by the Election Commission of Pakistan, states that political parties and candidates shall convey their schedule of public rallies at least three days in advance.”

The notice said that according to a July 1 report furnished by the South SSP, Bilawal led a rally in Lyari Town without prior permission from the deputy commissioner, violating the code of conduct.

“The rally encountered unanticipated resistance from the locals at Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai Road and, resultantly, a law and order situation rose, causing disruption in public peace. Such a situation was caused only because the district administration had no prior information about the rally.”

The notice gave Bilawal until July 5 to submit a response stating why the violation was committed. “Also, be informed that a repetition of such a violation may lead to heavy fine, followed by recommendation to the district returning office for disqualification of your candidature to contest the elections.”