Rawalpindi: The District Administration has removed more than 19,000 illegal election publicity material including banners, hoardings, steamers and panaflexes from different areas of Rawalpindi district said Additional Deputy Commissioner (General) Sara Hayat.

The Deputy Commissioner/District Monitoring Officer, Dr. Umer Jahangir has also imposed fine of Rs25,000 (Dh754) each on six elected representatives of the local bodies on violation of code of conduct issued by Election Commission of Pakistan for general elections 2018.

The elected representatives were earlier served show-cause notice for taking part in election campaigns of different candidates but they did not give any reply of the notice.

Fines were imposed on Vice President Chaklala Cantonment Board Raja Irfan Imtiaz, Chairman UC-89 Sheikh Sajid, Member Cantt Board, Ward-8, Ch. Khurram, Chairman UC-84 Imran Ilyas, Vice Chairman UC-21 Muhammad Hanif and Chairman UC-119 Ali Awan.

Earlier, show-cause notices were also issued to 17 candidates of National Assembly and four Punjab Provincial Assembly for violating election Code of Conduct.

Raja Pervaiz Asharf, Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, Hanif Abbasi, Malik Abrar, Daniyal Chaudhry, Raja Javed Ikhlas, Raja Qamar ul Islam, Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Toheedi, Ghulam Sarwar, M Shabbir Awan, Raja Jehandad Khan, Amir Mehmood Kiyani, Ch M Azeem, Hina Manzoor, Makhdoom Niaz Inqlabi, Raja Ashfaq Sarwar, Malik Shakil Awan, Faizul Hasan Chohan and Malik M Iftikhar were served show-cause notices as the names and addresses of the printers and publishers were not printed on the publicity material displayed by the candidates which is mandatory under Section 234 of the Election Code of Conduct.

She said that immediate action in accordance with the law was taken on the violations. Most of the violations were of oversize banners, panaflexes and other publicity material.

She informed that the district administration on the directive of District Monitoring Officer/DC Rawalpindi was making all out efforts to ensure implementation of election code of conduct.

The ACs concerned were removing unapproved size election publicity material from rural and urban areas of the district.

She said that action was taken in Rawalpindi city, Kahuta, Murree, Gujar Khan, Kotli Sattian, Taxila, Kalar Syedan and other areas without any discrimination.

The campaign would continue and no one would be allowed to violate the rules, she added. ECP had issued a code of conduct to set the size of portraits at 2x3, banners at 3x9 feet, posters 18x23 inches and handbills should not be larger than 6x9 inches. There is also a ban on the use of panaflex banners and posters as well as wall-chalking.

The administration has warned the candidates that on repeated violations, the report will be sent to the ECP. The operation is being conducted on daily basis and continue till the completion of the general elections and no relaxation will be given to anyone.

She said, on second violation, the case would be reported to district monitoring officer who would initiate legal action against the candidate.