LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) vice president Maryam Nawaz has said that challenging the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) verdict to the Lahore High Court proved the NA-75 by-election was rigged.
On a social media website Twitter, the PML-N vice president said that saving the officers involved in vote theft proves that the theft was done at the behest of the government.
الیکشن کمیشن کے فیصلے کو چیلنج کرنا ثابت کرتا ہے کہ تم نے چوری کی ہے۔
ووٹ چوری میں ملوث افسران کو بچانا ثابت کرتا ہے ہے کہ چوری تمہارے کہنے پر کی گئی۔
دوبارہ الیکشن سے فرار ثابت کرتا ہے کہ تم جانتے ہو عوام تمہاری ضمانتیں ضبط کرائے گی! انشاءاللّہ!
اللّہ کی لاٹھی بے آواز ہے!
— Maryam Nawaz Sharif (@MaryamNSharif) February 26, 2021
“Running away from re-election proves that you know, the people will confiscate your guarantees,” she slammed the government.
“PTI for exposing party’s election and appeals were being fielded when ECP catches the government red-handed,” she said.
Shed said, “Justice Wajihuddin opened the PTI election rigging you expelled him from the party. Now if the Election Commission caught the theft, are you appealing? If the people are with you, why are you running away from the field?” she added.
“Anxious to protect fraudsters if they take your name in court? Your game is over!” the PML-N leader added.
جسٹس وجیہ الدین نے PTI الیکشن کا پول کھولا تو اسے پارٹی سے نکال دیا۔اب الیکشن کمیشن نے چوری پکڑی تو اپیلیں کر رہے ہو؟عوام تمہارے ساتھ ہے تو میدان سے بھاگتےکیوں ہو؟
دھاندلی کرنے والے اہلکاروں کوتحفظ دینے کو اس لیے بے چین ہو کہ وہ کٹہرے میں اگر تمہارا نام لیں گے؟ تمھارا کھیل ختم!— Maryam Nawaz Sharif (@MaryamNSharif) February 26, 2021
Maryam Nawaz’s statement came after the government’s decision to challenge ECP’s verdict to annul the NA-75 by-election in the Lahore High Court (LHC).
According to sources, Prime Minister Imran Khan has approved the move as well as filing a petition challenging the action taken against administrative officers, including Commissioner and RPO Gujranwala.
Sources further informed that the decision was taken in a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan. Special Assistant to CM Punjab Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan, Advocate Ali Zafar and Ali Asjad Malhi also attended the meeting.
During the meeting, PM Imran was briefed on the by-elections while Advocate Ali Zafar proposed to him regarding the legal options against the ECP decision. It was decided to challenge the decision of the ECP in light of the suggestion given by Barrister Ali Zafar.
Sources said two petitions will be filed in the Lahore High Court in this regard. One petition will challenge the re-poling in NA-75 Daska while the second will challenge ECP’s decision to take action against administrative officers.
In the briefing, the Prime Minister was told that the Election Commission does not have the authority to take such action against the officers. Earlier, ECP had directed re-polling at all polling stations of NA-75 Sialkot-Daska over rigging allegations.
Terming the polling null and void in the NA-75 Daska, the ECP had ordered re-polling in the constituency on March 18. Moreover, the ECP also decided to suspend the concerned Deputy Commissioner, District Police Officer (DPO), Assistant Commissioner and SPDO Daska over “rigging” during the by-poll in the NA-75 constituency.
