Despite the ban on entering Punjab, PTI leader Maqbool Gujjar reached Lahore ahead of crucial by-polls on 20 seats of the provincial assembly scheduled to be held on Sunday (tomorrow).
Punjab government on Friday imposed a ban on entry of former federal minister Ali Amin Gandapur and Gujjar to the province till a day after the July 17 by-elections, citing concerns of the Election Commission of Pakistan.
Lahore’s Johar Town police officials stopped the PTI leader and also made him sign official papers earlier in the day.
However, the PTI leader escaped in another car when officials attempted to take him to the police station over violating government’s order. The police said they were trying to trace the whereabouts of the PTI leader.
Provincial Interior Minister Attaullah Tarar said that Ali Amin Gandapur and Maqbool Gujjar were legally banned from entering Punjab.
Despite the ban on his entry, Gujjar attempt to enter Punjab exposed PTI’s nefarious intentions, he added.
Tarar said the ban was imposed because there was a fear that armed groups would come to Punjab from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and disrupt the law and order situation during the by-elections.
Also read: PTI moves ECP against ‘pre-poll rigging’ in Punjab by-polls
The letter issued by the Punjab Home Department stated that the ECP had expressed concerns that Gandapur and Gujar my visit areas of by-election constituencies with the intention of pressuring polling staff, scuffling and inciting people to violence at polling stations in Lahore and other constituencies leading to a disruption of the polling process and disturbance of public peace and tranquillity.
The provincial government in exercise of power conferred under section 5(1) (a) of the Punjab Maintenances of Public order Ordinance 1960, “is pleased to order that the person mentioned above shall not enter in the province of Punjab with effects from 15 to 18 July 2022”.
An officer at the Home Department refused to share the ECP letter when asked to share the official communiqué.
He was later asked to reveal what prompted ECP to express their concerns regarding Gandapur, to which he said he was not privy to that.
It is pertinent to mention here that ECP issued expulsion order for Gandapur for violating ECP laws during by-elections in DI Khan.
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