ISLAMABAD – Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi appeared before the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) in a case involving allegations of threatening election staff during the by-election campaign for NA-18.
A five-member bench, led by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja, heard the case related to Afridi’s alleged violation of the electoral code of conduct and intimidation of election officials.
The Election Commission had previously issued a notice for Afridi to appear in person, and today, the Chief Minister was accompanied by his lawyer, Ali Bukhari, at the hearing.
During the proceedings, Ali Bukhari, Afridi’s legal counsel, requested that two or three additional petitions related to NA-18 be combined with the current case. However, the Special Secretary Law, representing the ECP, stated that this case should be handled separately.
The Special Secretary Law argued that the Election Commission has the authority to take action if its directives are not followed, and emphasized that, in accordance with the Election Act and the Constitution, the case should proceed with all responsible parties required to provide answers on merit.
According to the Special Secretary Law, a monitoring officer’s report indicated that Afridi’s actions were in violation of the law and represented non-compliance with the Election Commission’s instructions.
During the hearing, Ali Bukhari raised concerns about the petitioners and the Election Commission both being opposed to his client. He also highlighted that a similar petition had been filed against the Chief Minister of Punjab for his actions, including his husband’s involvement in ribbon-cutting ceremonies and announcements related to development projects. In response, Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja remarked that consistent action would be taken against all such instances.
Bukhari further questioned the admissibility of the case, noting that the District Monitoring Officer had reported that the speeches in question were made in Abbottabad, outside the relevant district, and pointed out that no one had raised issues when the Prime Minister made similar speeches. He also referenced the case of former Minister Talal Chaudhry, who did not appear before the Election Commission.
Chief Election Commissioner Raja clarified that if a Chief Minister makes a speech prior to an election that influences the constituency, it would be subject to trial. Regarding Talal Chaudhry’s case, he noted that Chaudhry had requested to appear, but his brother’s notification had been delayed, and his hearing is scheduled for December 2.
The Chief Election Commissioner assured that the Election Commission would issue an appropriate order based on the arguments presented and granted Soheil Afridi exemption from appearing at the next hearing.
The hearing was adjourned until December 4.
For context, CM Sohail Afridi is facing allegations of threatening election staff during the campaign for the NA-18 by-election.
ECP sounds Alarm as KP CM Afridi threatens election officials ahead of by-polls
