The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has issued notices to Prime Minister Imran Khan and other federal ministers for violating the code of conduct issued for the local body election in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Aaj News reported.

According to the details, the premier along with KP Chief Minister Mehmood Khan, Federal Minister Murad Saeed, Federal Minister Ali Zaidi, Senator Faisal Javed, and other MNAs and MPAs had attended a political rally in KP's Malakand. The prime minister and the federal ministers also addressed a public gathering.

The notice directed the prime minister to appear before the Malakand district monitoring officer (DMO) on March 22 at 10am for the purpose.

The notice also stated that the premier had addressed the rally as part of the PTI's election campaign and had used state resources.

The ECP has for the second time issued the notice to the premier for violating election code of conduct as it had served a notice earlier on March 11 to the premier and other federal ministers for addressing a public gathering in Lower Dir.

Following the ECP notices the premier and Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar had filed a petition in the Islamabad High Court against notices. The petition stated that the notices had been issued despite a new legislation regarding the election campaign.

The IHC, however, had refused to restrain the ECP from proceeding against the prime minister and other federal minister, saying that the ECP had mandate to devise a code of conduct for transparent elections.