Election’s code of conduct finalized
By Saad Saud

ISLAMABAD—Election Commission of Pakistan on Monday has formally approved the Code of Conduct, comprising of 39 points, for the upcoming general elections 2008. The Code of Conduct was given approval in a meeting held under the chairmanship of, Chief Election Commissioner Justice (Retd) Qazi Muhammad Farooq. Members of election commission Justice Naseem Sikandar, Justice Ahmad Khan Lashari, Secretary election commission Kanwar Dilshad and other relevant officials were also present on this occasion.
Election Commission of Pakistan had invited 90 parties to attend the meeting. However the opposition boycotted the meeting while five political parties including the PML-Q attended the meeting. The comments/suggestions, received from the Political Parties were discussed threadbare and necessary improvements were made in the Draft Code of Conduct, in consultation with the Representatives of the Political Parties, who participated in the Meeting.
Ch. Shujaat Hussain, President, Pakistan Muslim League, Mr. Mushahid Hussain Sayed, Secretary General PML, Mr. Imtiaz Ranjha PML (F), Ms. Anisa Zeb Tahirkheli, 5.Mr. Muhammad Ramzan Alvi, Jamiat Ulama-e-Islam, Pakistan (Sami-ul-Haque, ) Ch. Muhammad Akram Legal Advise Pakistan Awami Party,
According to approved Draft, the political parties shall not propagate any opinion, or act in any manner prejudicial to the ideology, sovereignty, integrity, and security of Pakistan. Political parties shall take care of the independence of Judiciary. Criticism of other political parties, when made, shall be confined to their policies and programme, past record and work. Parties and candidates shall refrain from criticism of all aspects of private life. Criticism based on unverified allegations or distortions shall be avoided.
Concerned political parties and contesting candidates may announce their overall development programme. But after the announcement of the election schedule till the day of polling, no candidate or any person on his behalf shall openly or in secret give any subscription or donation or make promise for giving subscription or donation nor shall commit to undertake any development project in the respective constituency.
All parties and candidates shall avoid scrupulously all activities, which are corrupt practices and offences under the election laws. The right of every individual for peaceful and undisturbed domestic life be respected. No political party shall permit his followers to make use of any individual’s possession like land, building, compound wall etc. Political parties shall ensure that their supporters do not create obstruction in meetings arranged by other political entities.
The election contenders shall refrain from making statements afflicting Pakistan’s foreign relationships. The political parties and contesters shall refrain from deliberate dissemination of false and malicious information and shall refrain from exerting undue pressure against media.
The political entities shall refrain from speeches calculated to arouse parochial and sectarian feelings. No person shall in any manner cause injury to any person or to damage to any property. Carriage and display of all kinds of lethal weapons and firearms shall not be allowed in public meetings. No participator will be targeted on the base of gender, ethnicity, religion or caste.