President, PM, party heads can do electioneering: LHC

LAHORE: Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah of the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday accepted a petition and allowed the president, prime minister, ministers and party heads to participate in the election campaign of respective candidates running for by-polls being held in different constituencies.
The judge held that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) could take action on the announcement of development projects and other incentives during the campaign.Earlier, he had observed that the president, prime minister, heads of political parties and legislators should at least be given permission to support or run the campaign of candidates of their choice in by-polls election.
He also observed how an election campaign could be called an election campaign if a party head was not present there.Mansoor Sarwar, a MPA of PTI, had filed the petition and termed the impugned code of conduct introduced by the ECP unconstitutional. He said keeping the supporters of the candidates at bay was a violation of fundamental rights.
Earlier, on a court query to explain under what law the ECP placed the ban, a deputy attorney general replied that the restriction was imposed in order to keep the election process impartial and peaceful.