Lahore by-poll: Imran, Qadri see battle between ‘good and evil’

PTI chief accuses ECP of failing to implement code of conduct

LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) chief Dr Tahirul Qadri joined ranks on Thursday for a by-election in Lahore, describing the contest as “a battle between good and evil”.

Speaking at a joint press conference, Khan expressed his gratitude to Qadri for PAT’s unconditional support to PTI candidate, Dr Yasmin Rashid, who is contesting against Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) candidate Begum Kulsoom Nawaz.



The by-election in National Assembly constituency, NA-120 Lahore, was triggered after former prime minister Nawaz Sharif was disqualified by the Supreme Court in the Panamagate case. The voting in the by-poll will be held on Sunday.

At the press conference, both Khan and Qadri said that voters in NA-120 would have to choose whether they were with the “corrupt and murderers or with the supremacy of law, the Constitution and the Supreme Court of Pakistan.”

The PTI chief alleged that Maryam Nawaz was “virtually enjoying powers of a deputy prime minister”, and running the by-election campaign along with PML-N ministers and parliamentarians in gross violation of the code of conduct issued by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).



He also alleged the ECP barred electioneering for the PTI while the ruling party’s ministers, parliamentarians and local government representatives were “allowed to do whatever they want” in NA-120. It never happened in any democratic country that a political party head was barred from electioneering, he added.

Increasing attacks on the ECP, Khan said court and election commission cases were filed against him after he took up the Panamagate case. The ECP was trying to assume the apex court’s role as it had summoned him in a contempt case, he added.

“It is the first time that the ECP has summoned someone in a contempt case,” he said, adding that more than 20 parties had alleged that the ECP had failed to conduct transparent elections in 2013 but not even a single person had been penalised yet.



The ruling party, he went on, was continuously attacking the apex court in its public gatherings and rallies. He indicated that the PTI would move the apex court against the ECP for “not maintaining its independent role”.

Khan, on the occasion, announced his full support to the families of the victims of the Model Town tragedy in which 14 people were killed on June 17, 2014.

Speaking on the occasion, Qadri said the court had started hearing petitions of the victim families and the next hearing was due this month.



The PAT chief said the voters in NA-120 had a choice between “a family of corrupts and murderers” and an educated lady (Dr Yasmin Rashid) who is struggling for justice and supremacy of the law.

Later, Khan led a big public rally from Faisal Chowk to Data Darbar. However, PTI representatives urged media-persons not to call it a public rally because of a ban by the ECP. At the press conference, Khan said he was going to pay his respects at Data Darbar but his party workers wanted to accompany him.