Despite worst rigging, the PML-N-backed Watan Nawaz group won with visible majority in the first phase of Local Government elections and total sweep in Sialkot and Gujranwala districts. PML-N Central Secretary Finance Mohammad Pervaiz Malik said this while addressing a meeting of his party workers here on Friday to review Local Government elections' results.
He said in addition to PML-N, the ARD parties including PPPP also won with majority in the elections while the MMA also secured a fair number of seats in the polls. "Their candidates not only resisted attempts to unfair means in the polling but won a fair number of seats," he added.
According to him, wherever, the ruling party candidates won, that was possible only through rigging. The pre-poll rigging started with adhoc Election Commission, postings/transfers of favourite civil servants, change in voters' list, activities of police and agencies, undue favour to government-backed candidates, change of loyalties of ex-member parliaments and misuse of funds.
Despite all those measures the government could not win as many seats as it claimed in the Local Government elections. This showed resentment of people against the ruling clique.