Will not allow rigging in NA-122 by-poll: Imran

PTI chairman says party will celebrate the beginning of a new Pakistan on the night of October 11

LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman has said his party is well-prepared to win the upcoming by-poll in NA-122, Lahore by "defeating election rigging".

“I have seen the passion of people who have now been awakened. We will defeat election rigging and celebrate the beginning of a new Pakistan on the night of October 11,” Imran said while addressing the election rally in Samanabad, Lahore on Sunday evening.

On October 11 you shall come out to vote and defeat these riggers! @ImranKhanPTI #PTIforNA122

— PTI Punjab (@PTIPunjabPK) October 4, 2015

The PTI chairman alleged the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government was trying to rig the by-election in Lahore through women polling stations for which the PTI had also braced to take necessary actions.

PMLN has planned to rig in women polling stations! Our tigresses of PTI, be prepared for October11! You'll ve to stop them! @ImranKhanPTI

— PTI Punjab (@PTIPunjabPK) October 4, 2015

He called upon the PTI’s women wing to fight rigging this time.

“They have planned to rig the election in women polling stations. My tigresses, be prepared as you all have to stop this. Be present in the stations,” Imran advised his female members.

Read: Imran to challenge ECP move in LHC

Imran said it was also exposed that PML-N will try to rig the election while the ballots are being moved to the returning officers.

They also do frauds on ballots at the time of transfer!! Thus we have demanded army escort for the transferring vehicles. @ImranKhanPTI

— PTI Punjab (@PTIPunjabPK) October 4, 2015

“We want an army official to accompany the ECP officials when the boxes are being transferred to the ROs,” he said.

Polling for NA-122, Lahore, is due on October 11 and the PTI has fielded former provincial minister Abdul Aleem Khan against PML-N's Ayaz Sadiq.

He also criticised the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), saying the by-election was being carried out once again under supervision of the flawed system that held the 'rigged elections' in 2013.

“I waited for two and a half years to get justice and what was revealed after that? Out of 184,000 votes 53,000 were bogus but not a single person has been indicted in this crime,” Imran said while lamenting that the same member of ECP Punjab was arranging the NA-122 by-election.

PHOTO: MALIK SHAFIQ/EXPRESS

He said there was a need to change the system.

“Under this election system educated youngsters like you all cannot participate in the polls,” he said.

The PTI chairman also dwelt on the rampant corruption in Punjab and said around 180 cases were still pending with the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

“Of 180 cases, 12 are against Nawaz Sharif but since the prime minister had chosen the NAB chairman on his own, the cases have not been resolved,” he alleged.

‘Ayaz Sadiq has failed the people of NA-122’

Meanwhile, speaking at the jalsa, Aleem Khan said despite having secured his seat in the National Assembly from the said constituency, Ayaz Sadiq had failed its people.

“People don’t recognise him” he said. “They ask him, ‘where have you been all these years?’”.

He criticised the government for spending millions on metro projects despite failing to deliver basic amenities to the public.

The PTI candidate said projects including a hospital and a sewerage system had been stalled for the past few years for having been initiated by him.

“If my name on the project is what bothers them [the government], then please remove my name…but don’t stall the projects. Don’t let the people suffer.”