The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Thursday issued a notice to the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) candidate Abid Sher Ali for the by-polls in NA-108 over a violation of ECP’s electoral code of conduct.
Abid Sher Ali had made announcements about relief provided by PM Shehbaz Sharif over fuel price adjustments and correction in bills on which the District Returning Officer issued a notice to Abid Sher Ali. He made these announcements from local mosques.
The PML-N leader must personally appear before the RO, per the ECP’s directive. The warning stated that Abid Sher Ali’s declaration of local mosques’ relief from paying their power bills was a flagrant violation of the electoral code of conduct.
It should be remembered that in the NA-108 Faisalabad by-elections, Imran Khan, the leader of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, would compete against Abid Sher Ali, the leader of the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N). On September 25, the coalition government will face a new political obstacle when PTI leader Imran Khan decides to run in nine NA by-elections.
Yesterday, Abid Sher Ali had also slammed Miftah Ismail in a Press Conference.
When PMLN leader Abid Sher Ali asserted that the alliance was at odds with rising electricity costs rather than PTI Chairperson Imran Khan, tensions inside the coalition grew.
Read More: Imran Khan’s Nomination Papers for NA-108 accepted
Abid Ali said, “We are disappointed by Miftah’s statement. In Nawaz Sharif’s era, people faced 18 hours of loadshedding but the party supremo ended the misery despite pressure from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).”
“Miftah Sahab come out of your office,” he taunted, urging him not to implement the conditions of the IMF which were signed by the previous PTI government. “New agreement should be negotiated and signed with the IMF,” he suggested. Urging Miftah to provide relief to the people, Abid said that the government was fighting against the electricity bills.