Taking the ballot over the bullet

GUJRANWALA: The district inspector general (DIG) Gujranwala Zulfiqar Ahmed Cheema has said that Section 144 has been strictly imposed in Noshehra Virkan prior to the by-polls in the NA 100 constituency.

“Carrying weapons of any kind is strictly banned in the area,” Cheema said, following complaints registered against Pakistan Muslim League- Nawaz (PML-N) candidates for threatening voters of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and roaming around the streets bearing arms. “The elections will be free and transparent and no one will be allowed to threaten people into voting for their party,” Cheema assured the public.

Addressing a press conference in Gujranwala, the DIG said that commandos would be deployed in the region to ensure that the by- polls and preceding campaigns followed through peacefully. He said that the police would act as a ‘neutral umpire’ in the polls. Police will also ensure security on the polling day, he said, adding that campaigning for the election was the right of every candidate but no one would be allowed to harass the voters in the district.

Senior superintendent police (SSP) operations Malik Tariq, SP Saddar, SP Range Crime and other police officials also attended the press conference and assured the DIG of their full cooperation.

“The by-polls usually turn violent in all districts but we are hoping to preempt this and ensure smooth and peaceful elections,” SSP Malik said.

Election campaign:

Meanwhile, sloganeering and counter-claims have already begun as part of the ‘traditional’ campaigning in the region. Party candidates have begun proclaiming who will win the elections. Personal attacks and criticism of opponents has been voiced in several rallies throughout the city.

PML-Q Gujranwala president Chaudhary Zaffarullah Cheema said that his party will win the by-polls in the NA by a 100 per cent majority. Addressing a gathering, Zaffarullah said that several committees had been formed to run a smooth campaign in the area. “If the polls are not rigged, then victory will be ours but we know they will try to cheat us out of our victory,” he said. PML-N candidate Azhar Qayyum Nahra said that the PPP had already ‘fleeced the nation twice’. “The people are not foolish they will never re-elect crooks and thieves to take away their money for a third time,” he said, adding that the PML-N would sweep the polls in Punjab. “Punjabis know better than to let themselves be robbed by the government, which is why they will elect the true representatives as their leaders,” he said. He said that the party was being accused of displaying arms and scaring people into voting, “This is a blatant lie against us. We don’t have to scare the people into voting PML-N. They will do so anyway,” he said. PPP provincial party leader Mian Mohammad Arqan Khan said that the party was the only one that understood and cared about the people. “The PPP is a party for the people not the waderas. We care about the poor and we work to solve their issues not get rich on their blood,” he said. “The PPP is the party that fixes things rather than the PML-N which only knows how to break the rules,” PPP candidate Mohammad Tassadaq Khan said. “We will not bow down to the PMLN ‘dadageeri’ do they think they can scare us by bearing arms? The power of the ballot trumps the power of the bullet,” he said.

Locals in Gakhar Mandi have accused the PML-N of harassing PPP supporters in the area and threatening people to vote for the PML-N as the area appears to be leaning towards the PPP. The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Thursday announced the holding of by-elections in NA-68 Sargodha-V, NA-100 Gujranwala-VI and NA-155 Lodhran-II on August 5, 2010.  NA-68 fell vacant after the disqualification of MNA Syed Javed Hussain (PML-N) NA-100 fell vacant due to disqualification of MNA Mudassar Qayyum Nahra (PML-N) and NA-155 fell vacant due to resignation of MNA Hayatullah Khan Tareen (PPP).

Nomination papers can be filed with the returning officers until June 30 and July 1 while the scrutiny of the papers will be done by the ROs from July 6 to 12. Appeals against the decisions of the ROs can be filed until July 16. The revised list of the candidates will be displayed on July 21.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 21^st, 2010.