The Election Commission of Pakistan has taken notice of an alleged violation of the election code of conduct by Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar during the NA-77 Gujranwala by-election, and directed the minister to appear before the commission in person. The action came on Saturday, 7 November, a day before polling in the constituency, after media reports that the minister visited the area by helicopter and attended a gathering. The commission has sought reports from the district monitoring officer and the district returning officer, and the constituency’s result may be withheld until a final decision is reached.
What the Election Commission has done
An Election Commission spokesperson said in a statement on X that the commission had taken notice of the alleged violation by the federal minister during the NA-77 by-election. The commission has asked the district monitoring officer and the district returning officer to submit reports on the matter so the facts can be established. The minister has been directed to appear before the commission in his personal capacity. The spokesperson added that the result of the constituency may be withheld until a final decision is reached, a step that would leave the outcome of Sunday’s vote in limbo while the inquiry runs its course.
The helicopter visit at the centre of the complaint
According to media reports, the minister visited the constituency by helicopter and attended a gathering there. Those reports form the basis of the commission’s notice: the ECP has not itself declared that a violation took place, and the reports from the district monitoring officer and the district returning officer will determine what actually happened. The allegation is that a federal minister campaigned in a constituency where polling is due the next day, something the election code of conduct does not allow for holders of public office. Until the inquiry reports arrive, the episode remains an allegation under examination rather than an established breach.
ECP notice Attaullah Tarar: minister summoned in person
The ECP notice Attaullah Tarar received directs him to appear before the commission in person. That is not a formality: it gives the commission the chance to put the allegation to the minister directly and to hear his account before deciding what follows. If the reports confirm a breach, the commission has a range of options under the election laws and its code of conduct, from a warning to stronger action; in serious cases a violation of the code can even put the election itself at risk. For now, though, the immediate consequence is uncertainty for voters in NA-77, who go to the polls on Sunday without knowing whether their constituency’s result will be announced on schedule.
Polling day: NA-77 and PP-203 vote tomorrow
By-elections are scheduled for Sunday, 8 November, in two Punjab constituencies: NA-77 in Gujranwala and PP-203 in Sahiwal. The federal government has already approved the deployment of the army and Rangers for both by-elections, with troops on the ground from 7 to 9 November. The Election Commission requested the deployment to ensure the peaceful conduct of the polls, with the Rangers deployed in the second tier and the army in third-tier quick reaction force mode. The army has been deployed under Article 220 of the Constitution, while the Rangers are operating under the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997. Read our earlier report on the security arrangements for these by-elections: https://urdupro.info/army-rangers-by-elections-na-77-pp-203-november-2026/
Why the code of conduct bars ministers from campaigning
The election code of conduct exists to keep the contest level. A minister carries the weight of public office, and the code therefore bars holders of public office from taking part in election campaigns, so that no candidate gains an advantage from state authority or resources. That is why a reported helicopter visit and a gathering a day before polling draws the commission’s attention even before any finding is made: the rules are designed to prevent influence, not only to punish it after the fact. The ECP has taken a similar line throughout this by-election season, issuing notices wherever public office-holders are reported to have crossed the campaign line. Whether this case ends with a warning, a fine or something more will depend on what the district officers report and what the minister says when he appears before the commission.
Sources: Pakistan Point — https://www.pakistanpoint.com/en/story/2285807/na-77-gujranwala-by-election-ecp-notices-alleged-code.html ; Geo News — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09GdpG7H6-U
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