Polls under Punjab govt officers can’t be fair: Wattoo

LAHORE
Fair, free and transparent local bodies elections and by-elections are not possible if Punjab government officers are deployed as returning officers because they are highly politicised, said Punjab PPP president Mian Manzoor Ahmed Wattoo.
Wattoo was chairing a meeting of PPP Lahore chapter which was attended by ex-MNAs, MPAs, party ticket-holders, office-bearers of Lahore PPP, Zonal presidents and PPP candidates of local bodies' elections.
He reiterated his demand to the Election Commission of Pakistan to appoint judicial officers as returning officers because the credibility of the whole process was at stake if decision in this regard was not taken soon. The Punjab government officers are disqualifying the opposition candidates on flimsy grounds that shows their bias, Wattoo said and added the ECP should proceed against such officers of the Punjab government.
He said reports were abounding that the development works in Punjab were underway on full swing despite the announcement of the election schedule. It is tantamount to pre-poll rigging and the ECP should take notice of it immediately, he stated. He said PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto would address the public meeting in Punjab as a part of the election campaign and he would be coming to Punjab soon.
In the meeting, discussion took place regarding the formulation of aggressive election campaign strategy for by-elections of NA-122 and PP-147 and the forthcoming local bodies' elections. The election campaign strategy will be given final shape in a high level meeting of Punjab PPP to be held on September 30, he added. Those who attended the meeting included Samina Khalid Gurkhi, Zahid Zulfiqar, Rana Ashar, Naveed Ch, Asef Nagra, Ashraf Bhatti, Mian Abdul Waheed, Dr Zia and the Zonal presidents of Lahore.