Qureshi accuses govt of pre-poll rigging

MULTAN: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Vice Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi has alleged that Pakistan Muslim League-N government is misusing the public funds in favour of its candidate as part of pre-poll rigging in PP-196 by-poll.
He was addressing a press conference here Monday outside the Multan Election Commission office after meeting ECP official Israr Ahmed Khan and submitting his petition in this regard. Qureshi said the PML-N government was violating the election code of conduct and it issued a notification on May 8 to declare formation of Chief Ministers’ Special Advisory Committee to prepare proposals for Multan development and beautification.
PML-N by-poll candidate Rana Mehmoodul Hassan is also included in the committee, which is a violation of the election code of conduct, he added. He claimed that the government had directed Multan DCO to facilitate the committee members, while Multan CPO and Tehsil Municipal Officer would be members of the committee. He said the PML-N has bribed the PPP’s proposed candidate Akhtar Hussain and he has joined the PML-N. He has also been made the chairman of Chief Ministers’ Special Advisory Committee. He said the ECP should take notice of the misuse of public resources and cancel a notification, issued by the government in this regard.
He said PML-N candidate’s two brothers-in-law, SHO Zaheer Khan Babar and Multan Electric Power Company official Saifullah Karim, are misusing public resources in his favour. He demanded of the Multan CPO to suspend SHO Rana Zaheer immediately, as he had been indulging in electioneering for his relative. He also demanded Mepco chief take action against Saifullah Karim for misusing Mepco resources in favour of the PML-N candidate. Qureshi also welcomed the ECP decision of deputing Rangers on the polling day. He said the PML-N government had transferred an honest Multan City Police Officer Sultan Ahmed to get desired results but the ECP cancelled his transfer orders.
The Punjab government has sent the CPO on leave instead of his appointment in Multan. He demanded the ECP bring back CPO Sultan Ahmed in Multan. Qureshi said he would meet Chief Election Commission on May 13 to submit his reservations and apprise him about violation of the code of conduct by the government.
Earlier, the PTI announced changing the election meeting venue from Qasimpur to Multan railway grounds after the ECP banned holding any public meeting in the limits of PP-196. PTI Chairman Imran Khan and others would address the gathering on the scheduled date i.e. May 15.