Local government polls: No one will be allowed to steal people’s mandate, says Sarwar

‘Party has submitted evidence of electoral malpractice to the judicial commission’.

LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) provincial organiser Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar said on Thursday that the party would break the hands of those who attempt to rig the local government elections in the province.

He made the remarks at an iftar cum dinner at his office. Sarwar said no one would be allowed to steal the mandate of the people. He said the party’s “tigers” would ensure that the elections were conducted in a transparent and fair manner.

Sarwar said while awarding tickets for the elections the party would not overlook those who had made sacrifices.

He expressed hope that the verdict of the judicial commission probing allegations of electoral malpractice in the 2013 general elections would be against those guilty of rigging. Sarwar said he hoped the verdict would unveil such elements.

He said the method employed by the party to transparently award party tickets for local government elections was exemplary. Sarwar said an example of its ilk could not be found in other political parties. He said this epitomised intra-party democracy.

Sarwar said the PTI wanted to impress on the ruling party that it should not attempt to steal the mandate of the people on the lines of the 2013 general elections as the party’s tigers would strive to preserve the sanctity of votes in the local government elections. He said the party would secure a resounding victory in the polls with the peoples’ votes.

Sarwar said the PTI had submitted all evidence of electoral malpractice in the 2013 general elections before the judicial commission. He expressed hope that that the judicial commission’s verdict would unveil those involved in rigging the elections. Sarwar said those involved in electoral malpractice deserved to be strictly punished.

He said the government had failed to honour its electoral promises. Sarwar said the party’s politics was congruent with the aspirations of the people.

He said party workers would compete with opponents in the Punjab and emerge victorious in the local government polls.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 4^th, 2015.