Notices Served

The Punjab Election Commission issued show-cause notices. They named Federal Minister Sardar Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari and SAPM Huzaifa Rehman. The notices accuse them of breaching the Election Act, 2017.

Deadline for Reply

The commission asked both officials to explain their actions. They set the deadline as November 21. The commission warned it would act swiftly on any violations.

Alleged Campaigning

According to the Dera Ghazi Khan district monitor, Minister Leghari campaigned for a PML-N candidate in NA-185. Moreover, the monitor said Leghari entered campaign activities while serving as a federal minister. Therefore, the commission considers this a breach of official instructions.

SAPM Also Accused

Meanwhile, the monitoring officer reported that SAPM Huzaifa Rehman planned to join election events. Consequently, the officer said Rehman violated the ECP code of conduct. The duo must present their explanations to the election body.

Other Cases and Fines

Faisalabad monitors accused State Minister for Interior Talal Chaudhry of repeated code breaches. The officer claimed Chaudhry ignored two warnings. As a result, officials fined him Rs50,000 and forwarded the case for further action.

By-Elections and Campaign Deadline

By-elections in six national and seven provincial seats will take place on November 23. Campaigns must end at midnight on November 21. Candidates who continue political activities after the deadline will face legal action.

Penalties include up to two years in jail, a fine up to Rs100,000, or both.

Seats in Contest

The contested National Assembly seats are:

• NA-18 Haripur
• NA-96 Faisalabad-II
• NA-104 Faisalabad-X
• NA-129 Lahore-XIII
• NA-143 Sahiwal-III
• NA-185 D.G. Khan-II

The provincial seats are:

• PP-73 Sargodha-III
• PP-87 Mianwali-III
• PP-98 Faisalabad-I
• PP-115 Faisalabad-XVIII
• PP-116 Faisalabad-XIX
• PP-203 Sahiwal-VI
• PP-269 Muzaffargarh-II