Lodhran by-poll: Wary of Punjab govt, PTI seeks army deployment

Tareen asks ECP if its earlier decision still holds


Our Correspondent November 22, 2015
Tareen asks ECP if its earlier decision still holds. PHOTO: APP

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has again approached the election supervisory body to deploy army troops for the by-election in the NA-154 (Lodhran-I) constituency on December 23.

Senior PTI leader Jahangir Khan Tareen, who is also contesting the by-poll, sent in a written request to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) secretary on November 16. In his letter, Tareen conveyed his mistrust of the Punjab government while referring to an earlier decision of the ECP whereby the army was called in for maintaining law and order during the much-talked-about by-elections of NA-122 (Lahore-V) and NA-154.



“Army presence, both inside and outside the polling stations, in NA-122 was of great importance in ensuring that the election was conducted peacefully and fairly,” reads the letter. “The same decision was made for the NA-154 by-poll, which was originally scheduled for October 11.”

Tareen wrote to the ECP secretary that he sought “your reconfirmation that the army shall be deployed in NA-154 on December 23 to maintain law and order and ensure free and fair election.”

Following an election tribunal’s August 26 verdict in favour of Tareen, the ECP had announced that re-polling in NA-154 would be held on October 11. The tribunal had also imposed a lifetime ban on Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) MNA Sadiq Baloch from politics, declaring his education certificate “bogus”.

However, the Supreme Court on September 29 suspended the tribunal’s decision to unseat Baloch and issued an order to stay the by-poll in the constituency.

Baloch’s counsel Shahzad Shaukat had said the tribunal foreclosed the petitioner’s right to contest any further election by attributing corrupt practices to him.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 22nd, 2015.

COMMENTS (1)

Syed faisal ur rehman shah deaf | 8 years ago | Reply Na154 pti
Replying to X

Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.

For more information, please see our Comments FAQ