PTI to ‘sweep’ Punjab LG polls: PM Imran

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday vowed to sweep the local government polls in Punjab as the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) announced that the first phase of the polls would be conducted in 17 districts of the province on May 29.

During a meeting with the PTI parliamentarians, the premier said the decision of awarding party tickets for the upcoming elections would be made with consultations and consensus.

Several lawmakers raised their concern about delimitations during the meeting.

Also read: ECP reschedules Punjab LG elections to May 29

The prime minister instructed them to submit their reservations to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) within due time.

“The whole party organisation and assembly members will jointly work to win the local government elections in Punjab,” he added.

Punjab Local Government Minister Mian Mahmood-ur-Rasheed called on the prime minister and briefed him about the preparations for the upcoming elections.

PM Imran directed him to step up the pace of public contact campaigns at the grass-roots level to ensure success in local government polls.

The prime minister also chaired a meeting of the party’s lawmakers from Dera Ghazi Khan Division. The upcoming local government elections and the ground situation in the region were discussed in detail.

Separately, the ECP has announced its schedule for the local government polls in Punjab after a meeting chaired by Chief Election Commissioner Sultan Sikander Raja.

Also read: Politicking gathers pace ahead of LG polls

On May 29, the commission would conduct the polls in Dera Ghazi Khan, Rajanpur, Muzaffargarh, Bahawalpur, Khanewal, Layyah, Vehari, Sahiwal, Pakpattan, Toba Tek Singh, Khushab, Sialkot, Gujrat, Hafizabad, Mandi Bahaudin, Jhelum and Attock.

Earlier during a meeting with Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar, the premier directed the provincial government to take all necessary steps to provide prompt and efficient services to the common people in the province.

He stressed the need for taking stern action against miscreants, hoarders and land mafia to protect the lives, properties and interests of the people.

Punjab Chief Secretary Kamran Ali Afzal and provincial police chief Rao Sardar Ali Khan were also in attendance.

Issues related to civil administration and law and order in Punjab were also discussed. The prime minister was also given a detailed briefing on the progress of development projects.

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Earlier in Islamabad, the premier, in reference to the recent election of Peshawar mayor, maintained that the manipulation of polls through rejection of votes was one of the reasons the “status quo” mindset opposed the use of electronic voting machines (EVMs).

The prime minister claimed that the local government elections in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa had resurfaced the problem of rejected votes because of double stamping, etc.

He recalled that the Judicial Commission report on the 2013 elections was also of the same view.

He shared a bar graph depicting the votes rejected were greater than the winning margin.