ISLAMABAD: Election Commission of Pakistan has authorized the District Retuning Officers and Retuning Officers to exercise powers of Magistrate of the First Class under the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1989, with effect from July 12, 2018 and until the consolidation and announcement of official results.

The aforesaid offices shall exercise the powers of Magistrate First Class in respect of the offenses defined in section 169 punishable under Section 174 of Election Act,2017 and may take cognizance of any such offence under Section 190 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.

It was stated in a circular issued by Establishment Department of Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and marked to Senior Member Board of Revenue, Additional Chief Secretary, FATA, Additional Chief Secretary, Planning and Development Department, all Administrative Secretaries to Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Principal Secretary to Governor, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, The Provincial Police Officer, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and All Divisional Commissioners in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.