AJK election commission bans use of pictures of army chief, PM for campaigning

MUZAFFARABAD: The Election Commission of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) has issued directives to political parties warning them against using portraits of army officers – mainly Chief of Army Staff – and heads of any other institutions such as the judiciary in their advertisements, panaflex, banners and posters, The News reported on Saturday.

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These orders from AJK Chief Election Commissioner Justice (retd) Abdul Rashid Salahria come in as a banner used by a PTI lawmaker, which carried portraits of Prime Minister Imran Khan, Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa and another central party leaders made rounds on social media, with many users criticising the “politicisation of the armed forces”.

“We have received complaints that some political parties are using pictures of the army chief in their advertisements and panaflex banners. Under [the] law, no individual or political party can use or run a campaign on the basis of the pictures of the army chief or the head of any other institution. Such a step may lead to disqualification [of the political party or its leader concerned] under Section 21 of the Election Act, 2020,” the order said.

It further stated that all political parties were bound to follow the code of conduct under Section 106 of the Election Act and could not deviate from it.