Section 170: Undue influence

170. Undue influence.—A person is guilty of exercising undue influence if he— (a) in order to induce or compel any person to vote or refrain from voting, or to offer himself as a candidate, or to withdraw his candidature or retire from the contest, at an election, directly or indirectly, by himself or by any other person on his behalf— (i) makes or threatens to make use of any force, violence or restraint; (ii) inflicts or threatens to inflict any injury, damage, harm or loss; (iii) calls down or threatens to call down divine displeasure or the displeasure or disapprobation of any saint or pir; (iv) gives or threatens to give any religious sentence; (v) uses or threatens to use any official influence or governmental patronage; (vi) maligns the Armed Forces of Pakistan; or 1[(vii) prevents any woman or a transgender person from contesting an election or exercising the right to vote.] (b) on account of any person having voted or refrained from voting, or having offered himself as a candidate, or having withdrawn his candidature or having retired, does any of the acts specified in clause (a). (c) directly or indirectly, by himself or by any other person on his behalf— (i) uses any place of religious worship, or any place reserved for the performance of religious rites, for the purpose of canvassing for the votes or not to vote at an election or for a particular candidate; or (ii) for any of the purposes specified in sub-clause (i) by words, spoken or written, or by signs or visible representation, publishes anything or does any act prejudicial to the glory of Islam or the integrity, security or defence of Pakistan or any part of Pakistan; or (d) by abduction, duress or any fraudulent device or contrivance— (i) impedes or prevents the free exercise of the franchise by a voter; or (ii) compels, induces or prevails upon any voter to vote or refrain from voting. Explanation.—In this section, ― “harm” includes social ostracism or excommunication or expulsion from any caste or community.

Effective date: 2017-10-02

Related sections