Ahead of elections: PTI to challenge delimitation in court
Party leader says PML-N has gerrymandered constituencies
A man checks the constituency delimitation list in Gujranwala. PHOTO: KHURRUM SHAHZAD/EXPRESS/FILE
LAHORE:
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) will challenge new delimitations in the Lahore High Court and the Supreme Court.
This was announced by PTI Central Punjab Information Secretary Dr Murad Raas at a press conference on Thursday.
“The ruling party has created a constituency of their own choice by reshuffling the constituencies of opposition parties,” he claimed.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr Raas said that his party has strong reservations over new delimitations and has decided to challenge them in the court.
“The government has reshuffled most areas where the PTI has a stronghold,” he said. He added that the party also has reservations over new voter lists. “Intentionally, PTI voters have been thrown in different constituencies. Votes of the people, who have been living in Model Town for the last four decades, have been transferred to Shahdara.”
The PTI leader highlighted that he has pointed out all these objections to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on numerous occasions. “I met with the ECP’s Sharifullah several times to discuss these objections, but no action has been taken as yet,” he said, adding that voters’ name, house numbers and even complete addresses were missing from the voter’s lists but the commission is not paying attention to their complaints.
Dr Rass said that the names of the people who died decades ago have been included in voters’ lists. Names of new voters should be mentioned at the end of the list but in new voters’ list name of these voters have been included somewhere in middle, he pointed out.
The PTI leader said the ECP was not performing its duties properly. Preparations are being made to rig another election like 2013, he said. It is very strange that in PP-152, earlier a person won with a lead of 25,000 votes and suddenly his lead swell to 35,000 votes, he pointed out. “If the commission does not remove bogus votes from the list then elections will not be held,” he warned.
Dr Raas claimed that Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif has spent a whopping amount of Rs9,000 billion during the last 10 years in the name of development but he failed to provide even clean drinking water to citizens.
“The Auditor General of Pakistan has pointed out over Rs5 billion of corruption in Rawalpindi Metro Bus project.”
The Sharif family abducted Faisal Subhan, a whistleblower, who pointed out corruption in Multan Metro Bus project, he said. He added that names of 28 corrupt officers were also mentioned in the inquiry report but no action has been taken as yet.
Replying to a question, Dr Raas said the Chinese Securities and Exchange Commission has unveiled Faisal Subhan’s name in a mega corruption scam. He termed the Multan Metro Bus corruption scandal as ‘Panama Case’ for Shehbaz Sharif.
PTI MPA Shoaib Siddiqui said that the PTI has submitted an application to the ECP for rigging in NA-122 by-elections in 2015, but it is still pending and no decision is made yet. However, in PP-147 by-election his party had won this seat.
He said that in new delimitation, PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s NA-122 constituency has been entirely eliminated and 11 union councils have been segregated in four different constituencies.
He added that Khan’s residence in Zaman Park area has been removed from his constituency, NA-122. “It is an attempt to the biggest pro-poll ring in the history of the provincial capital. The ECP has to tell the court and the public on what basis it came up with new delimitations.”
Published in The Express Tribune, March 9th, 2018.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) will challenge new delimitations in the Lahore High Court and the Supreme Court.
This was announced by PTI Central Punjab Information Secretary Dr Murad Raas at a press conference on Thursday.
“The ruling party has created a constituency of their own choice by reshuffling the constituencies of opposition parties,” he claimed.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr Raas said that his party has strong reservations over new delimitations and has decided to challenge them in the court.
“The government has reshuffled most areas where the PTI has a stronghold,” he said. He added that the party also has reservations over new voter lists. “Intentionally, PTI voters have been thrown in different constituencies. Votes of the people, who have been living in Model Town for the last four decades, have been transferred to Shahdara.”
The PTI leader highlighted that he has pointed out all these objections to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on numerous occasions. “I met with the ECP’s Sharifullah several times to discuss these objections, but no action has been taken as yet,” he said, adding that voters’ name, house numbers and even complete addresses were missing from the voter’s lists but the commission is not paying attention to their complaints.
Dr Rass said that the names of the people who died decades ago have been included in voters’ lists. Names of new voters should be mentioned at the end of the list but in new voters’ list name of these voters have been included somewhere in middle, he pointed out.
The PTI leader said the ECP was not performing its duties properly. Preparations are being made to rig another election like 2013, he said. It is very strange that in PP-152, earlier a person won with a lead of 25,000 votes and suddenly his lead swell to 35,000 votes, he pointed out. “If the commission does not remove bogus votes from the list then elections will not be held,” he warned.
Dr Raas claimed that Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif has spent a whopping amount of Rs9,000 billion during the last 10 years in the name of development but he failed to provide even clean drinking water to citizens.
“The Auditor General of Pakistan has pointed out over Rs5 billion of corruption in Rawalpindi Metro Bus project.”
The Sharif family abducted Faisal Subhan, a whistleblower, who pointed out corruption in Multan Metro Bus project, he said. He added that names of 28 corrupt officers were also mentioned in the inquiry report but no action has been taken as yet.
Replying to a question, Dr Raas said the Chinese Securities and Exchange Commission has unveiled Faisal Subhan’s name in a mega corruption scam. He termed the Multan Metro Bus corruption scandal as ‘Panama Case’ for Shehbaz Sharif.
PTI MPA Shoaib Siddiqui said that the PTI has submitted an application to the ECP for rigging in NA-122 by-elections in 2015, but it is still pending and no decision is made yet. However, in PP-147 by-election his party had won this seat.
He said that in new delimitation, PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s NA-122 constituency has been entirely eliminated and 11 union councils have been segregated in four different constituencies.
He added that Khan’s residence in Zaman Park area has been removed from his constituency, NA-122. “It is an attempt to the biggest pro-poll ring in the history of the provincial capital. The ECP has to tell the court and the public on what basis it came up with new delimitations.”
Published in The Express Tribune, March 9th, 2018.