Info Minister urges media to follow ECP’s Electoral Code of Conduct during Elections 2024

Electoral Code of Conduct: The Caretaker Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Murtaza Solangi said that the mainstream media should follow the code of conduct issued by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for the general elections 2024.

According to the media reports, Caretaker Information Minister Murtaza Solangi expressed his views while addressing a seminar on Electoral Code of Conduct: Ethical Practices of Stakeholders including Media organized by the Press Information Department in Islamabad today (Thursday, January 25).

Speaking on the occasion, Murtaza Solangi said that the code of conduct is available in both English and Urdu languages. He expressed regret over the speculations surrounding the elections and affirmed that the federal government consistently asserted that the elections would take place on the 8th of February. There is a consensus there will be a federal parliamentary democratic system in the country, he said, adding that improvement can be brought in the parliamentary system through legislation. He stressed that the democratic system is for the people.

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We don’t have any grievances with the mainstream media, stated the Minister of Information. However, he claimed that there are challenges associated with the digital frontier since some groups both domestically and internationally seek turmoil and instability in the nation. The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) and the Financial Industry Authority (FIA), among other pertinent agencies, must remain vigilant to meet this challenge, he said.

Shahera Shahid, the secretary of information and broadcasting, stressed the value of the code of conduct in her remarks, adding that it offers general guidelines for behavior. She explained that doing this also guarantees everyone’s protection and safety.

The code of conduct was created following discussions with the political parties, according to a representative of the Pakistani Election Commission. He claimed that it limits the amount of money that the running candidates can spend on their campaigns and outlaws hate speech.