LAHORE: PML-N Deputy Secretary General Attaullah Tarar on Sunday said the PPP didn’t have any vote bank in Lahore and Bilawal Bhutto Zardari – the party chairman – had chosen the city for contesting elections only because of unreasonableness.

“We are people’s darlings,” Tarar told a press conference at the PML-N’s Model Town headquarters and added that purchasing votes wasn’t possible. “Mr Bilawal! You are third in the constituency [NA-127],” he remarked and reminded him that it was Lahore, not Lyari or a no-go area.

He accused the PPP of planning to buy up to 60,000 votes, but warned that no one would be allowed to sell their votes, adding that CNIC numbers of those receiving money had been obtained.

“Votes are obtained by field work, not by distributing money,” Tarar said and vowed that he would himself stop the practice if it was repeated in future.

The PPP wanted to create chaos in Lahore, he noted, but added that no one would be allowed to resort to intimidation in Lahore. “I’m in a fight with a landlord who will leave Lahore. We and the people selling their votes would have to live here.”

The controversy erupted on Saturday when Tarar along with media raided a premises located on Ferozepur Road where the PPP was allegedly busy in buying votes by offering cash to the people.

Earlier, PPP leader Shehla Raza accused Tarar and the PML-N was using force, as she demanded the Election Commission of Pakistan (PPP) of taking action against the culprits.

Raza, who was attended by other party leaders from Lahore, said Tarar had kidnapped three PPP workers after forcibly entering their office, adding that police should immediately register a case against him.

Similarly, PPP senior leader Sherry Rehman in a statement demanded a complete ban on those attacking the PPP office and said the rivals had panicked after witnessing the popularity of Bilawal in Lahore.