Pakistan: EC fines Imran Khan for holding public rally on March 11

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has imposed a fine worth Pakistani Rupees Rs 50,000 against Prime Minister Imran Khan for holding a public gathering in Lower Dir of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).

The district monitoring officer of the Election Commission of Pakistan directed the Pakistan PM to submit the bank 'challan' by March 22, ARY News reported on Friday.

Imran Khan conducted the public rally in Lower Dir on March 11.

The ECP's officer for electioneering in Chitral also imposed Rs 50,000 fine against KP Chief Minister's special assistant Wazir Zada for violating the election code of conduct.

KP Members of Provincial Assembly (MPA), appeared before the officer but failed to give a satisfactory response to the officer, according to the ECP spokesperson.

After the imposition of fines, Wazir said in a statement that ECP's decision was ill-intended and he will file an appeal against it.

The Islamabad High Court on Friday called Pakistan PM's rally on March 11 "inappropriate" and rejected his and Planning and Development Minister Asad Umar's plea to suspend the Election Commission of Pakistan's (ECP) notice issued to them for participating in the rally.

After the violation of the election code of conduct, ECP served the notices to Pakistani PM, KP Governor Shah Farman, KP CM Mahmood Khan and others for attending the rally in Lower Dir ahead of KP's local government election.

Meanwhile, ECP is considering putting off the second phase of the local government elections in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa that were scheduled to take place in 18 districts of the province on March 31 saying that the election code of conduct was being seriously violated in the districts.

ECP believes that the level playing field had been disturbed in the area where the polls would be held and the commission would soon make a decision about when to hold the local government elections, The Express Tribune reported citing sources.

Separately, the ECP has also stopped Imran Khan from going ahead with his planned visit to the Malakand district of the province.

( With inputs from ANI )