By-polls in Ghotki delayed for 5 days

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) Tuesday extended the date of by-election in NA-205, Ghotki from July 19 to July 23. A notification issued to this effect by the Election Commission Media Wing, pointed out that the reason for this delay was the Sindh High Court, Sukkur Bench, announced earlier in the day. “Because of this case, printing of ballot papers could not be started, which according to the plan, was to be completed at least one week before polling,” the Election Commission explained. NA-205 constituency seat of the National Assembly had fallen vacant on account of the demise of Federal Minister Ali Muhammad Mahar on May 21. The candidates of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and Pakistan People’s Party are the two potential contenders for this seat of the National Assembly, which have been locked in hurling allegations and counter-allegations of violations of the code of conduct and misusing the official resources during the by-election campaign. However, the most significant was the serving of a show-cause notice to Prime Minister Imran Khan for allegedly violating the code of conduct on the filing of a complaint by the rival candidate of PTI’s that the prime minister had visited Ghotki in violation of the conduct. The Prime Minister had visited the constituency to condole the death of Ali Mahar with his family members. In his reply to the notice, the prime minister contended that he had paid a visit purely for condolence and that he had neither issued any political statement nor led a rally or public meeting there. He called on the ECP that the notice be withdrawn, as legal options were also available to him on this count.