Shahbaz Sharif proved wrong CEC’s all claims of transparent elections:Rehman Naseer

Lahore: All claims of holding of transparent elections of Chief Election Commissioner Fakharuddin G. Ebrahim have been proved wrong by the govt. of Shahbaz Sharif, CEC should take notice of rigging openly committed in bye-election otherwise the political parties will not trust the slogan of holding of fair and transparent elections.

This was stated by Pakistan Muslim League candidate in the bye-election from NA-107 Gujrat Rehman Naseer while addressing a press conference along with former Provincial Education Minister Mian Imran Masood and former District Nazim Gujrat Ch Shafaat Hussain and Additional General Secretary Nasir Mahmud Gill at the Pakistan Muslim League here today.

Showing counter cards books of ballot papers recovered from N-League workers to the media, he said that we have produced empty ballot boxes before the media which has established rigging by N-League, CEC should get these books examined to see to whom votes of these numbers were have been cast adding that these ballot boxes were provided to N-League workers by the presiding officers.

Rehman Naseer further said that we were assured by the CEC that elections will be held in a transparent, fair manner but the Punjab Govt. has established new worst ever records of rigging, harassment and goondaism in the bye-election, rules and regulations of the Election Commission were openly and flagrantly violated and on the orders of the Punjab Chief Secretary, only 129 Rangers were deployed on 281 polling stations.

He said we pinpoint 100 polling stations where recounting of votes cast would expose the rigging by N-League.

Former District Nazim Ch Shafaat Hussain said that son of govt. candidate Malik Hanif was caught casting bogus vote, this was also shown by the media but he was let off afterwards. He said prior to the election Shahbaz Sharif had issued instructions to the govt. machinery that no matter how but our candidate must win. Replying to a question, he said that we have got Peoples Party vote because of which our vote bank has also increased. Responding to another question, he said that Peoples Party leader Waheeda Shah had slapped the presiding officer and she was disqualified and here armed workers of N-League have been indulging in goondaism as such we demand that sou moto action should be taken.

Mian Imran Masood said that N-League candidate got 30 to 35 thousand votes through rigging, elections were intentionally delayed on the pretext of Muharrum because Shahbaz Sharif was receiving reports that the position of their candidate is weak, as such his son Hamza Shahbaz and Sardar Zulfiqar Khosa in the Govt. Rest House worked day and night to prepare and finalize plans for rigging, we demand of the CEC that he should examine the live footage reports on TV before announcing the final results.

He said the CEC instructions that the govt. machinery will not be used in the elections, Police in uniform and Special Branch officials will not be present at the polling stations, Rangers will be present at the time of counting of votes, counting of votes will be done in the office of the Election Commission and arms will not be publicly displayed have not been followed by N-League candidate and did all what was prohibited by the Election Commission and as such he should be disqualified.