MINGORA: Peshawar High Court Mingora bench (Darul Qaza) has summoned the deputy commissioners of Chitral Lower and Upper in a contempt of court case against them.
Before appearing in the court on January 30, the district administrations of Lower and Upper Chitral were ordered to ensure PTI candidates for the one National and two KP assembly seats are provided level-playing field for canvassing, the court ordered.
Earlier, a petition was filed in the court on behalf of the three candidates against the district administrations for creating hurdles in their election campaigns despite directions from the court.
Arguing in the court, lawyers for the PTI candidates advocates Rahim Ullah and Syed Mukhtar Ali Shah contended that to ensure free and fair elections on February 8 it was imperative that all candidates and political parties are provided a level-playing field.
However, they added, the PTI candidates in Chitral were not being allowed to hold public gatherings on different pretexts.
While candidates of other political parties continued their election campaigns without any hurdle, with the JUI-F candidate for NA-1 even openly distributing cash, the district administrations did not allow Abdul Latif, Suriya Bibi and Fatehul Mulk Ali Nasir of the PTI to hold corner meetings.
It may be noted that the Election Commission of Pakistan has already stripped the PTI of its iconic symbol of \’Bat\’ and its candidates are forced to contest the polls on separate, confusing and weird symbols.
The PTI candidates across the country are taking part in the elections as independent candidates with their party founder removed from the position of chairman and imprisoned in Rawalpindi\’s Adiala jail.