LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Hammad Azhar on Sunday completely excluded PML-N from the equation, explaining that PTI is competing against foreign conspiracy and ECP, while PML-N has no existence.
Talking to the media in Lahore, former Federal Minister Hammad Azhar showcased much confidence in PTI’s victory. He said members of the provincial assembly are leaving the government and coming to the opposition.
Meanwhile, PTI leader Usman Dar visited constituency PP 168 of Lahore. He hoped that the polling process would continue peacefully. “The wickets of PML-N have started falling, four to five more resignations are coming,” said Usman Dar.
Furthermore, PTI leader Shahbaz Gul accused the opponents of casting fake votes in Muzaffargarh. He said that fake votes are being cast in two constituencies of Muzaffargarh and PTI’s polling agents were removed from polling stations 44 and 46 in PP-272.
“The government should refrain from rigging. Fake rulers will be decisively defeated,” he added.
Meanwhile, former prime minister and PTI Chairman Imran Khan said that he was pleased to see voters coming out to cast their votes in large numbers during by-polls in 20 constituencies of the Punjab province.
Taking to Twitter, Imran Khan lauded the voters for resisting all pressures and harassment and asked all those especially women who have not yet cast their votes to come out and vote.
“This is an election for Pakistan’s sovereignty & Haqeeqi Azadi,” he said.
GILL ARRESTED TO ‘RIG ELECTIONS’
PTI chairman Imran Khan said that Shahbaz Gill’s alleged arrest was an attempt to “rig elections” and “spread fear in people”. “These fascist tactics will not work and our people will not be deterred from exercising their right to vote,” he tweeted, adding that the “handlers of imported government” should realise the damage that they were doing to the nation.
‘RIGGING HAS BEGUN’
Earlier, PTI leader Shehbaz Gill claimed that the rigging begun in the by-polls on 20 constituencies of the Punjab Assembly and shared that their polling agents in Muzaffargarh were not allowed to check the empty ballot boxes.
Taking to Twitter, Shehbaz Gill said the two polling agents of their candidates in PP-272 (Muzaffargarh) were expelled from polling stations, 44 and 46, and now they were not allowed to check empty ballot boxes and the number of ballot papers available with the presiding officer.
GILL ARRESTED FOR ‘EXHIBITING WEAPONS PUBLICLY’
PTI leader and former federal minister Shahbaz Gill was arrested from Muzaffargarh on Monday for allegedly carrying and displaying weapons on his visit to polling stations PP-272 and PP-73 during the Punjab by-elections.
The ECP, in its election code of conduct for political parties and candidates, says: “Carriage and display of all kinds of lethal weapons and fire arms shall not be allowed in public meetings and processions and official regulations in respect thereof shall be strictly observed. Aerial firing, use of crackers and other explosives at public meetings shall not be allowed.”
The Muzaffargarh DPO told the media that Gill was taken into custody from a factory owned by PTI candidate Muazzam Ali along with his guards. They have been taken to an undisclosed location, he said. So far, a first information report (FIR) has not been registered.
Earlier, visuals circulating on television showed Gill with guards clad in Frontier Corps uniform. Prior to his arrest, the PTI leader had tweeted that he was ready to get arrested but refused to let the police take his guards or other party workers into custody.
“Before you reach anyone else, I am presenting myself for arrest,” he tweeted, claiming he was “trapped in a factory”. “Imran Khan’s soldier is not afraid of such tactics. We did not come to do terrorism.”
“So, I will do you a favour and present myself for arrest,” the PTI leader said. “As long as I am standing here, I won’t let you arrest anyone.”
Later, a tweet surfaced on the politician’s Twitter account revealing that he had been taken to the Saddar Ali Pur police station.
Before Fawad Chaudhry condemned Shahbaz Gill’s alleged arrest, Gill tweeted that he was ready to get arrested but would not let the police take his guards or other PTI leaders in Muzaffargarh’s PP-272 into custody.
“Before you reach anyone else, I am presenting myself for arrest,” he tweeted, claiming he was “trapped in a factory”. “Imran Khan’s soldier is not afraid of such tactics. We did not come to do terrorism.”
Earlier, visuals were circulating on television where Gill could be seen with guards clad in uniforms of Frontier Corps raising a number of questions.
However, in a video posted on his YouTube channel, Gill alleged that polling agents in Muzaffargarh’s PP-272 had not been allowed to enter the polling stations. “We reached out to the ECP but they refuted the complaints. Now, they have sent police to take my guards. What is their purpose? They want to arrest me,” he said.
‘Local administration empowered’
In a press conference later in the day, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said that the local administration was empowered to take decisions to maintain the law and order situation, promising that the government would support such measures.
His comments came in response to a question regarding Gill’s arrest. “If the officer in charge of overseeing electoral arrangements feels that Shahbaz is misbehaving or has been accompanied by men with no legal status, they could take whatever decision they felt was right.”
Sanaullah also suggested the Gill should cooperate with the police and must surrender.
FAWAD CH’S VEHICLE ATTACKED
Meanwhile, the PTI on Sunday alleged that police and local administration instigated an attack on the former information minister Fawad Chaudhry’s vehicle in Lahore during visit to polling stations.
PTI Central Punjab Information Secretary Musarat Jamshed told the media that Fawad, along with former finance minister Shaukat Tareen, was visiting polling stations to inspect the polling process in PP-168 when his vehicle was attacked by some miscreant, who was later arrested from the Tehreek-e-Labbaik (TLP) Pakistan camp.
She alleged that police had played the role of spectator and provided protection to attackers who broke the windshields of Fawad’s vehicle. However, the PTI leader remained safe during the attack, she added.
Jamshed underscored that it is a matter of concern that the PTI’s central leader was attacked in the presence of heavy police deployment.
