ISLAMABAD: Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has on Tuesday declared the Prime Minister Kisan Package as a violation of the code of conduct and has issued a notice to Secretary National Food Security.

Declaring the announcement of the package as violation of the code of conduct, ECP summoned Secretary Information and Secretary National Food Security. Meanwhile, ECP has also directed PEMRA to submit report about media’s bias towards any political party in the local body elections, if there is any.

Briefing the media at ECP headquarters, Secretary ECP Babar Yaqoob Fatah Muhammad declared the Prime Minister Kisan Package as violation of the code of conduct and told that an answer has been demanded from Secretary National Food Security in this regard. Secretary ECP said that Kisan package and its details are being advertised in the media. He said that announcing relief packages at the time of local body elections is a violation of the code of conduct. He ordered both secretaries to appear before ECP and convince the institution that the announcement was not a violation of the code of conduct.

Moreover, Secretary ECP told that he has written a letter to PEMRA directing them to ensure that all political parties get equal coverage in all media groups and make sure that no media group shows any bias towards any political party.

PEMRA has also been directed to submit a report on media coverage of the local body elections.

Secretary ECP told that notice has been taken of the complaints filed by Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) candidate Jahangir Tareen in NA-154 and a decision will be taken after reviewing the complaints. Agencies