Caretaker govt accused of ‘foul play’ in by-polls

PTI leader says party workers tortured, harassed


Our Correspondent February 28, 2023
PHOTO: EXPRESS

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LAHORE:

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Central Information Secretary Farrukh Habib claimed that during the by-election in Rajanpur, the caretaker government, backed by PML-N, used official machinery to torture their supporters and fake police cases were registered against them.

While talking to the media persons on Monday, he said PTI candidate Mohsin Leghari defeated the opponent by a huge margin.

“The people of Rajanpur voted for Leghari despite knowing that fresh elections were around the corner. PTI Chairman Imran Khan was the voice of the poor people,” he added.

Talking about the PTI’s ‘jail bahro’ movement, he said that PTI leaders, including Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Asad Umar. Azam Swati, Dr Murad Raas, Muhammad Khan Madani, Azam Khan Niazi and Fawad Rasool, and party workers were arrested. He claimed that the arrested party leaders and workers were not being given their rights in jails; “they were being treated like terrorists and the PTI strongly condemns it”.

“I along with my colleagues will surrender before the authorities on March 1 in Faisalabad,” said, adding that he condemns the arrest of 80-year-old retired army officer Amjad Shoaib.

He held the coalition government responsible for not holding the elections; “this was not the Panama case, it was a case of violation of the Constitution, and it was undermining the democracy in the country”.

He criticised former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and former president Asif Ali Zardari for attacking the institutions all their lives. He accused Shahbaz Sharif, the Election Commission of Pakistan, and the governors of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa of obstructing the implementation of the Constitution.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 28th, 2023.

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