LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Vice Chairman and former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has accused the Punjab government of coercing the local administration to manipulate the by-elections in 20 constituencies in their favour.
While addressing a press conference, he claimed that deputy commissioners (DCs) and DPOs of 14 districts have been warned that their future depends on the results of the by-elections. “The state machinery is being used to run the campaign for Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N); Hamza Shehbaz could go to any lengths to save his seat. We will not accept the fixed elections which will have dangerous consequences,” he added.
According to him, arranging free and fair by-polls in Punjab will be a ‘huge test’ for the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP); rumours were already circulating that the PTI will get two seats and PML-N will get 18 seats. Hamza Shehbaz has already assured all the PML-N ticket holders of success.
He averred that the people are losing confidence in the ECP which could not even manage a by-poll in Karachi. He warned that if the ECP lost its credibility in the by-polls, then the nation will not accept the results of the next general elections. “It is the constitutional responsibility of the commission to hold transparent elections for which the state provides them with facilities to fulfill this constitutional obligation, and the nation expects this from them,” he added.
Former foreign minister accused Hamza Shehbaz of buying loyalties of the PTI officials; “the that the meetings of the PTI officials at the Union Council level are being arranged with Hamza Shehbaz and I have video evidence of it”.
Qureshi said the PTI candidates have complained that special branch officials do their reconnaissance during the electioneering and record their clips. He further said that no development work could be initiated after the announcement of the bye-election schedule, but in a recorded clip of a PML-N candidate in the PP-217 constituency he could be heard assuring that the development work would be completed before July 17. He said that he has sent the clips relating to the development work to the Punjab member of the ECP. “When will we get a fair election and an autonomous election commission,” he questioned.
He claimed that the elections are being ‘fixed’ but the electoral body is silent. He further said that they have no objection over the appointment in the ECP as long as these persons were neutral.
To a question, the PTI Vice Chairman said that the International Monetary Fund was not satisfied with the measures taken by the federal government; “it has given no signal of approval of the government’s budget. “The IMF says that the targets set in the budget were unrealistic,” he added.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022
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