NA-122 by-election: Imran warns ruling party against rigging

PML-N says final act of PTI chief’s political career at hand

ISLAMABAD/ LAHORE:

The ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and its fierce rival Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) upped the ante in their war of recriminations with each accusing the other of indulging in corrupt practices.

While PTI Chairman Imran Khan feared that the PML-N would “attempt to rig the NA-122 (Lahore-V) by-poll on Sunday just like it had rigged the 2013 general elections”, the ruling party’s Dr Asif Kirmani claimed that election day would be the final act of Imran’s political career.

Addressing a news conference at the Chairman Secretariat in Lahore, the PTI chief warned the PML-N of repercussions “if the ruling party attempted to rig the by-poll”.



He claimed that despite deployment of army and Rangers, the PML-N was capable of rigging the election, especially at women’s polling booths. “Moreover, ministers of the ruling party taking part in election rallies is tantamount to pre-poll rigging.”

He criticised Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif for “corruption, embezzlement, tax evasion” and the PML-N’s unaudited funding, which he claimed was used for rigging elections.

Targeting the Nandipur power project, the Bahawalpur solar power park, the Neelum-Jhelum hydropower plant and other projects, Imran slammed the ruling administration for “failed governance” and demanded an audit of all the government schemes. He also lashed out at the Nawaz administration for failing to keep its promise of ending power cuts.

The Kissan bailout package and the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor came under fire as well. The PTI chairman accused the government of politicising the country’s pressing issues for personal gains.



Meanwhile, Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid declared Imran “a traitor” and accused the top election supervisory body of backing his party’s “anti-Pakistan agenda”.

Rashid told a news conference in Islamabad that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) supported “each and every irrational demand” of PTI.

For the past 13 months, he said, the ECP had been the least interested in taking up founding PTI member Akbar S Babar’s complaint against the party’s use of foreign funds for its Islamabad sit-in last year.

“Millions of dollars were used to attempt to destabilise the country, to attack parliament, to cancel the Chinese president’s visit, to oust the legitimate Pakistani government and to create anarchy in the country.”

The information minister wondered why the ECP was reluctant to take up Babar’s complaint when it readily stayed implementation of some of the components of the Kissan package.



He claimed that there is documentary proof of the PTI’s sit-in being funded by Indian and Jewish lobbies, adding that Imran was a pawn of foreign elements who seek to dismantle the country. “On the basis of documents, I declare Imran a traitor, a conspirator, an enemy of the country.”

Rashid challenged the PTI chairman to take him to court over his statement. “I shall prove my claims in court with the support of documents.”

Kirmani, the premier’s special assistant on political affairs, said in a statement that the PTI’s scandal about foreign funding has “badly exposed Imran’s self-portrayed innocence”. He said no Pakistani would vote in favour of any foreign-funded party.

ECP hearing

Rashid said that after the PML-N raised a hue and cry in the media, the ECP fixed October 10 for hearing the case against the PTI.

He said that if the polling body finds on the basis of documents that the PTI had violated the laws of the country while using foreign funds, then the government would mull over the next course of action.

The minister also said that according to the ECP’s rules, every party needs to submit its audit report to the commission.

However, he added, PTI Information Secretary Naeemul Haq admitted on TV that the party had submitted its audit report last week. “Why, then, has the ECP allowed the PTI to contest the election?”

Rashid claimed that the election body and the PTI were equally responsible for rigging the polls.


Published in The Express Tribune, October 9^th, 2015.