Janisran-e-Nawaz Sharif: PTI approaches CEC against ‘militant wing’ of PML-N

Claims force is aimed at promoting hatred against party

ISLAMABAD: Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Thursday approached the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) seeking legal action against ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) for purportedly creating in Punjab what it called a ‘militant wing’ with the name of Janisran-e-Nawaz Sharif.

“It has been widely reported and highlighted in the electronic and print media that the members of this force have been recruited on the instruction of the PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif and State Minister Abid Sher Ali, MPA Zaeem Qadri and others are leading this criminal activity at his behest.

“It is also reported (that) they (the PML-N workers) are being trained in different parts of Punjab,” the PTI claimed in its letter addressed to CEC Justice (retd) Sardar Muhammad Raza.

On September 30, the PTI is scheduled to hold ‘anti-corruption’ protest march towards Raiwind. The Punjab government has announced that it will provide security to participants of the march. However, some second-tier leaders of the ruling party had been issuing threatening statements against the protest rally till the last few days.



Citing media reports the PTI’s Deputy Secretary General Farrukh Habib said the PML-N, by creating Nawaz Janisar force, has violated the mandatory provisions of the Political Parties Order 2002 as well as article 256 of the constitution of Pakistan.

“This force has been established to target and promote hatred and animosity specifically against the PTI and its members,” Habib said as he asked the CEC to take legal action against PML-N.

ECP warns Imran against addressing today’s rally

Meanwhile, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has warned the PTI chief Imran Khan against making speech in Taxila today (Friday) as part of election campaign for his party’s candidate for Punjab Assembly’s constituency PP-7.

In a letter to the PTI chief, the district election commissioner said as per the ECP’s code of conduct public office holders, ministers and members of national and provincial assemblies cannot campaign for candidates in by-elections.

Falling under NA-53, the provincial assembly’s seat in PP-7 had fallen vacant due to the death of the PTI lawmaker Saddiq Khan, younger brother of Ghulam Sarwar Khan.

Located in the suburbs of Rawalpindi city, NA-53 and two provincial assembly constituencies falling under it have always witnessed a tough competition between incumbent Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan and Sarwar Khan, who joined the PTI in 2011.

Before joining the PTI, Sarwar Khan, now a member of National Assembly from NA-53, had contested polls both as an independent candidate and on tickets of different parties.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 23^rd, 2016.