5 officials suspended for setting up fake election commission

Chief Election Commissioner suspended five officials for setting up a fake election commission office for PP-160 by-polls.

Chief Election Commissioner Justice (retired) Hamid Ali Mirza has suspended five officials for setting up a fake election commission office for PP-160 by-polls in Lahore.

Secretary Election Commission Ishtiaq Ahmad has issued a statement saying a detailed report has been recieved from the returning officer in this regard.

Basing his decision on the report, chief election commissioner suspended election officer Muhammad Jameel, draftman Asher Rai Bhatti and three other officials.

Secretary election commission said FIA has been asked to hold an inquiry into the matter, as Punjab police has rejected to lodge an FIR.

The Interior Ministry has also been directed to station rangers at 145 polling stations during by-polls in PP-160.

The election campaign for by-election in PP-160 Lahore has ended. 12  candidates are in the run for the seat, which fell vacant after PML-N's Rana Mubashir resigned for possessing a fake degree.

Prominent candidates contesting the elections are PML-N’s Malik Saiful Malook Khokhar, PTI’s Malik Zaheer Abbas Khokhar and Malik Jahangir Hussain Bara belonging to Jamat-e-Islami.

There are more than 180,000 registered voters in PP-160, who will exercise their right to vote on July 24.

Rangers will be deployed to avert any untoward incident at 36 polling stations that have been declared sensitive.