Govt preparing to rig PP-196 by-polls: Qureshi

Government is violating the ECP’s code of conduct, says Qureshi

MULTAN:

Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) has changed the venue for a meeting after the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) barred national assembly and provincial assembly members from addressing public gatherings within the jurisdiction of PP-196.

PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi told a press conference that he had met with ECP official Israr Ahmed Khan over the issue.

He said the PTI had originally planned an election meeting in Qasimpur on May 15 but following ECP’s directives, the meeting had been moved to Multan Railway ground. Qureshi said the government was misusing public resources to influence the polls in favour of its preferred candidate.

Qureshi said the government was violating the ECP’s code of conduct.

He said on May 8, a notification had been issued on the formation of a chief minister’s advisory committee to prepare proposals for development in Multan.

He said Rana Mehmoodul Hassan, the PML-N’s candidate for PP-196 by-poll, had been included in the committee. He said the government had directed the Multan DCO to facilitate committee members. He said the CPO and the TMO were also on the committee.

He said Hassan should not be associated with the committee while he was contesting the election.

Qureshi said the PML-N had bribed the PPP’s proposed candidate Akhtar Bhutta for the PP-196 by-poll. He said Bhutta had joined the PML-N and was made as the chairman of the advisory committee. He said the ECP should take notice of this.

He said ECP’s decision to deploy Rangers on election day was welcome. He said the government was misusing police in favour of its preferred candidate. He said the Rangers could ensure transparent polling. Qureshi said he was going to meet the chief election commissioner on May 13 to submit his reservations on violations of the code of conduct.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 12^th, 2015.