Election Commission warns Tarar could face two years in jail

The Election Commission's special secretary told a three-member bench headed by the chief election commissioner that Information Minister Attaullah Tarar breached the code of conduct and the Elections Act by touring the Gujranwala constituency by helicopter and addressing a public gathering during the by-election campaign. The law allows the commission to impose a prison term of up to two years in such a case, he said.

The chief election commissioner asked why the minister had not appeared in person. Tarar's counsel, Sajjeel Swati, told the bench his client is on an official foreign visit. The commissioner remarked that on such a trip the minister had only media coverage to attend to.

The bench objected to a statement by the deputy commissioner of Gujranwala that the visit was made in a Cantonment Board area that does not fall under the commission, and directed him to go and study the law, Aaj News reported.

Aaj News also reported that the chief election commissioner admonished the parliamentary secretary for health, Asma Abbasi, for smiling during the proceedings, warning that her Punjab Assembly seat could be lost and that a contempt notice could be issued.

On Islamabad's local government elections, the chief election commissioner said the federal government did not appear serious about the matter, and stated that the polls in the capital would be held in any case.

He questioned a directive by the prime minister that teachers would not be put on election duty, asking where the commission would find the staff to run polling if that held.

The commission directed the district returning officer, the district monitoring officer and the returning officer to submit written replies to a fact-finding report compiled on the matter. It summoned the Gujranwala city police officer.

All parties were ordered to appear in person at the next hearing. The commission announced no penalty and adjourned the case to 1 December.