ISLAMABAD: A member of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi’s team, Shafi Ullah Jan, may face trouble, as the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has asked him to explain his position on the charges he levelled against the electoral body with regard to the recent Haripur by-election.
Shafi, who is the chief minister’s Special Assistant, according to the ECP sources, has been sent a notice on the first day of the New Year with regard to his statement against the electoral body aired by a YouTube channel on December 19.
The Election Commission considered the matter and noted that Shafi had levelled baseless allegations against it.
The Commission, sources maintained, was of the considered view that the allegations made in the said statement were incorrect, misleading, and not supported by any evidence.
“Such statements, when made publicly without verifiable evidence, tend to create unnecessary confusion and adversely affect public confidence in the electoral process; further it appears to be an attempt to malign the institution,” says the notice.
Shafi has been directed to explain his position on the ‘attached content’ and provide concrete and verifiable evidence in support of the allegations made in ‘his statement’ within seven days from the date of receipt of the notice.
In case, no such evidence was furnished within the stipulated period, the Election Commission shall assume that the allegations were made by him without factual basis and shall take an appropriate action in accordance with the law.
The video recording and transcript of the statement have been enclosed as well.
The ruling PMLN’s Babar Nawaz had emerged winner from the Haripur constituency, defeating his rival, Shehrnaz, who is spouse of former leader of opposition and senior PTI leader Omar Ayub Khan.
