intimidating him or her or bar him or her from voting or try to pose as voter.
The ECP, through the code, also made it clear that no one would be allowed to convince a voter within 200 metres of a polling station or stop him or her from casting a vote. The code also barred parties, candidates and their supporters from inciting violence during campaign or using force.
The code said that no one would speak against any gathering or meeting or incite someone for violence during polling. During campaign or polling, no one in no way, would harm anyone or his property.
Political parties, their candidates or supporters, according to the code, would not make use of any government official’s position or status to make their campaign effective or create hurdles in the way of others’ campaign. Likewise, political parties, candidates and supporters would also in no way, damage ballot papers or temper with them or remove official signs from them.
No party, contesting candidate or supporter would hoist their flag on any government building unless, permission would be given in writing and dues paid, if demanded: during campaign, wall-chalking or ads would not be allowed; loud speakers would be used only during corner meetings. The allowed size of a poster is 3x2 feet and banner 9x3 feet while hoarding of any kind would not be allowed. Poll campaign expense limit for a candidate is fixed at Rs2,00000.
The code said that political parties, candidates and their supporters would not be permitted to oppose any individual from taking part in the electoral process on the basis of religion, caste or ethnicity.
Similarly, parties and their candidates would desist from damaging reputation of any individual through baseless propaganda and foul language would also not be allowed to be used during campaign.
The federal, provincial or local governments, the code noted, would not give ads in newspapers or other media outlets using official resources.
The ECP made progress towards tackling the gigantic task of printing of over 420 million ballot papers for the local bodies polls, as the Printing Corporation of Pakistan held out an assurance of printing 330 million ballot papers in 22 days while for the printing of another 90 million, a committee was formed under Additional Secretary of ECP Syed Sher Afgan.For the conduct of local bodies polls in Punjab and Sindh, a total of over 420 million ballot papers would be required.
To avoid complications at the time of allotment of election symbols by returning officers to their candidates, the ECP also issued certain directions that included that a party head of each party may consider the authorisation of a party office-bearer in each province to issue party ticket to candidates for cantonment boards, falling in that province on behalf of political party head for allotment of symbol by returning officers.
The ECP noted that party tickets already allotted by authorised persons, as suggested in the directions, may not be recalled or cancelled and that care may be taken that against one seat only one party ticket is issued, which may contain name, parentage and CNIC number of a candidate.
In the light of the Lahore High Court decision regarding allotment of election symbols, the ECP also directed that a contesting candidate, aspiring for an election symbol, shall submit before returning officer, a certificate on party letter duly signed by the party head or a person duly authorised by him under intimation to the provincial election commission latest by April 8.
The ECP has issued election symbols to as many as 164 parties, of these, 147 were issued before the 2013 general election.