Presiding officers failed to take charge: Abbasi

Calls by-polls a referendum against govt

LAHORE: Despite securing victory in NA-124 constituency in the by-elections, former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Sunday alleged that presiding officers were ‘being controlled from somewhere else’.

Addressing the residents in the constituency after his victory, Abbasi said people should be informed ‘who controls the polling stations’. He added that he had visited 40 polling stations and observed that presiding officers were not in charge of the polling stations.

The former PM demanded of the chief election commissioner to answer his questions or resign. He said the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) had managed to win despite ‘all the odds against it’.

He added that people had always supported the PML-N.

Abbasi said that the by-election was a referendum against the government. He added that the people had spoken against the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

PML-N leaders ran an aggressive campaign to ensure Abbasi’s victory in NA-124 despite the constituency being its stronghold. It is pertinent to mention that Hamza Shehbaz had emerged victorious from this constituency but he later abandoned it to retain his provincial seat.