The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has summoned Information Minister Attaullah Tarar over an alleged violation of its Code of Conduct during campaigning for the upcoming by-election in NA-77 Gujranwala-I. The commission took notice after Tarar reportedly travelled to the constituency by helicopter and addressed an election gathering in support of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) candidate Rashid Basheer Virk.
According to the ECP, the minister’s participation in the campaign appeared to breach electoral rules that prohibit public office holders, including federal ministers, from taking part in election campaign activities. The commission has directed Tarar to appear in person and explain his position.
The ECP has also sought reports from the district monitoring officer and district returning officer to investigate the incident. It has warned that the election result for NA-77 could be withheld until a final decision is made regarding the alleged violation.
The NA-77 Gujranwala-I by-election is scheduled for November 8. The seat became vacant following the death of five-time PML-N lawmaker Chaudhry Mehmood Bashir Virk on September 11 after a prolonged illness. His son, Rashid Basheer Virk, is among 18 candidates contesting the constituency.
Mehmood Bashir Virk first entered the National Assembly in 1997 and was subsequently elected in four consecutive elections from 2008 onwards. The constituency had also seen an earlier by-election in November 2025 after PTI-backed independent candidate Rai Murtaza Iqbal was disqualified following his conviction by an anti-terrorism court.
Rai Murtaza Iqbal had won the seat in the 2024 general elections with 55,874 votes. He was later disqualified along with four other PTI-backed lawmakers following their convictions by an anti-terrorism court in Faisalabad on July 31. In the November 2025 by-election, PML-N candidate Chaudhry Mehmood Bashir Virk won with 46,820 votes, defeating independent candidate Falik Sher, who received 10,975 votes.
Another by-election is also scheduled for November 8 in Punjab Assembly constituency PP-203 Sahiwal-VI. The seat became vacant following the death of PML-N lawmaker Chaudhry Hanif Jutt, who died of cardiac arrest on September 17, 2026.
Jutt had won the previous by-election in November 2025 with 46,820 votes, defeating independent candidate Falik Sher, who secured 10,975 votes. The earlier vacancy had followed Rai Murtaza Iqbal’s disqualification after his conviction by the anti-terrorism court in Faisalabad.
The ECP’s proceedings concerning Attaullah Tarar will determine whether the reported campaign activity violated the commission’s rules. The matter remains under review, with the commission seeking an explanation from the minister and reports from the relevant election officials.
