PTI moves ECP over alleged pre-poll rigging in PP-140

ISLAMABAD:
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Wednesday filed a petition with the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) over allegations of pre-poll rigging and made the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party to the petition.

As per the PTI, detailed documentary evidence has also been submitted to the election watchdog by PTI leaders, including Central Additional Secretary General Umar Ayub Khan, Riaz Fatyana and Iftikhar Durrani.

“We have submitted evidence with reference to PP-140 Sheikhupura as the number of voters in the constituency has increased from 2,000 to 5,572 voters,” Umar Ayub told media outside the ECP office earlier today.
“This is a form of pre-poll rigging,” he explained, adding that “it is crucial to prevent ministers from visiting [the constituencies], to exert influence and use state machinery.”

“Today, we have filed the petition by exercising our right, and we have done so preemptively so that nobody would be able to say that we had no objections before [the election results],” the PTI leader maintained.

He said that the PML-N had “lost its mind” over the 20 seats that are up for grabs in the Punjab by-polls.

“Federal and provincial ministers are resigning left, right and centre. But no matter what tactics they use, [the] PTI will succeed,” he said.

It is pertinent to note here that Malik Muhamad Ahmad Khan became the latest minister of the ruling party in Punjab on Tuesday to hang gloves to invest all energies on the election campaign and battle the odds that the handling of country’s economic affairs has stacked against the PML-N-led government.

Malik Muhammad was the only minister in Punjab who, unlike his counterparts, had a ministerial portfolio.

He is the fourth minister to resign as Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Sardar Ayaz Sadiq and Punjab Minister Salman Rafique already tendered their resignations on Saturday citing ‘personal reasons’.

Ayub furthered that postings and transfers were being made relentlessly, and development works were being announced. “These are old tactics and the imported government would not win by doing these but they are unsuccessfully trying to influence the public,” he stated.

The PTI leader alleged that the DPO Jhang was also trying to exert influence, while the Rajanpur deputy commissioner was also campaigning openly.

While addressing a crowd in Sheikhupura last week, the PTI chief had stated that the commission was biased in favour of Hamza Shehbaz, the current Punjab chief minister and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader.
However, the election watchdog had responded to the claims by defending the CEC and condemning Imran’s comments.

In a statement, the commission had said that “by issuing fatwas of treason, an institution cannot be declared a traitor” – a dig at the PTI’s rhetoric against the opposing parties and those who deserted his party.

The tension between the ECP and ex-PM Imran has been underway for quite some time now.

The PTI has accused the CEC and the election commission of bias, with Imran repeatedly calling on him to resign. Last month, the party had also announced its plans to file a reference against the CEC.

Taking notice of allegations levelled against it by Imran, the ECP had asked the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) for the record of his address during a workers’ convention in Peshawar on April 26.

The PTI chairman had demanded the resignation of the CEC for allegedly siding with the PML-N against his party.