Imran Khan writes to election commission to expose PMLN tactics in PP160
Islamabad: 15-06-2010
In an effort to reveal the illegal course the election campaign for the constituency of PP-160 has taken the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman, Mr Imran Khan, has written a letter to the Pakistan Election Commission of Pakistan. Inherent in the letter are the activities of the PML-N workers, apparently working in unison with the Punjab government, to dominate through terrifying means the PTI candidate, Malik Zaheer Abbas Khokhar.
Mr Khan has drawn the attention of the Election Commission to the occurrence of untoward incidents during the election campaign of PP-160, a constituency contested by Malik Zaheer Abbas Khokhar, Pakistan-Tehreek-i-Insafs (PTI) candidate, Saiful Maluk Khokhar of the PML-N, and other independent candidates. Two of the most blatant incidents violative of the Election Commissions code of electoral conduct are the demolition of election offices run by PTI supporters in the past week and injuries suffered by them as a consequence of PML-Ns threatening tactics.
The first incident took place in the early hours of June 6, 2010 at Shahpur, one of the election constituencies, when Sarwar Bhatti, a PTI member was brutally beaten up by men identified as PML-N workers by the local people. The beating soon followed firing of shots at two other members of the PTI namely, Ihsan and Saleem.
When the PTI members approached the local police station to register an FIR, the on-duty police officer kept on procrastinating. From the time the incident took place to this day (at the writing of this application), the local police have refused to lodge an FIR against those believed to be working for the PML-N.
Another incident took place on June 10, 2010 when PTIs main monitoring office at Johar Town, belonging to Mr Shahid Farooq Khokhar was demolished without prior notice.
Mr Shahid Farooq, an ardent PTI worker, is the legal owner of the property demolished by the PML-N workers, allegedly at the behest of the Punjab government. The PML-N has diverted a constitutional endeavor such as contesting of elections to frightening levels of power machinations by beating and firing at PTI workers. A restaurant owned by Khwaja Asif of the PTI called the, Lahori Barbecue has also been demolished by PML-N workers, recount local residents.
A most alarming element of such open show of might in the face of electoral regulations is the possibility of deterioration of law and order in the constituency of PP-160 on election day, scheduled to be held on June 24, 2010.
Mr Imran Khan has requested the Election Commission to take into account the nature of injuries suffered by Mr Owais Aslam, a member of Insaf Student Federation who was physically brutalised by Mazhar Khokhar, president PML-N youth wing.
Mr Khan has urged the Election Commission not only to take into account the strong armed tactics employed by the PML-N but also take notice of the deployment of the entire local government machinery to facilitate PML-N candidates contesting the polls.
source