KP Chief Minister skips ECP hearing over election code violation

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Sohail Afridi failed to appear before the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Friday during the hearing of a notice issued over alleged threats to election officials, prompting the Chief Election Commissioner to announce that an interim order would be issued later in the day.

According to the 24NewsHD TV channel, a four-member bench headed by the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) heard the matter at the ECP headquarters in Islamabad, where security was tightened with deployments from Islamabad Police, Rangers and the Frontier Constabulary (FC).

Although Chief Minister Afridi and candidate Shehrnaz Bano Omar Ayub did not attend the proceedings, CM Afridi’s counsel, Ali Bukhari, and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Advocate General were present.

The CEC underlined that Afridi had been summoned in person, while Bukhari argued that an exemption request had been filed because the chief minister was attending a meeting.

On this, the chief election commissioner said the interim order would be issued today, which will clarify all issues, including the date of the next hearing.

CM Afridi’s lawyer countered the ECP notices by arguing that the Punjab chief minister, Maryam Nawaz Sharif, had also announced a development project in Hassan Abdal and should therefore face similar action.

The Chief Election Commissioner responded that the commission had already issued a notice to a federal minister earlier in the day for violating the election code of conduct, using stronger language than in the notice served to CM Sohail Afridi.

During the hearing, the ECP secretary said that public office holders are barred from participating in election campaigns and from engaging in intimidation or incitement.

He said that Afridi had threatened election officials during a rally in Havelian, adding that candidate Shehrnaz Omar Ayub was equally responsible.

The CEC then halted arguments from the PML-N candidate’s lawyer and adjourned the hearing.

Experts noted that the Election Commission wields judicial authority rather than merely administrative power, meaning those summoned are obliged to appear.

They added that the ECP has already requested deployment of the army in the constituency where Afridi delivered the speech in question.

In Haripur’s NA-18 constituency, 402 polling stations have been declared sensitive and 42 highly sensitive.

Reporters: Hashar Warriach and Usman Khan