MUZAFFARABAD: In order to keep an eye on the campaign of contesting candidates and political parties, the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Election Commission has constituted monitoring teams, comprising officers from the subordinate judiciary, civil administration, police as well the commission.

According to a press release, issued here on Wednesday by EC secretary Sardar Ghazanfar, the step had been taken under section 106-A of the AJK Elections Act 2020.

He said the district and sessions judges/district returning officers in all 10 districts had been nominated as reporting officers for their respective districts.

The reporting of ficers, af ter being informed by the monitoring teams about violation of the AJK Elections Act 2020, Election Rules or the code of conduct, by any candidate or party would take action under sub sections 3 and 4 of section106-A.

`The reporting of ficers have been vested with the authority to slap a fine not more than Rs50,000 on the person or party found guilty of the violation, provided the transgression is proven in a summary hearing and no penalty has been proposed for it in the Elections Act 2020 or the rules thereunder,` he said.

`Af ter a second violation of similar nature, the reporting officer will forward the matter to the Election Commission for a legal action that includes disqualification of the candidate or party concerned,` he added.

Mr Ghazanfar said the monitoring teams, which had also been duly notified, would be under an obligation to keep tabs on electioneering by individuals as well as organisations and bring the violations committed anywhere in their jurisdiction in the notice of their concerned reporting of ficer without loss of time.