LAHORE, Jan 16: The PML-N and the PPP will hold a demonstration outside the Muslim Masjid, Lohari Gate, after Juma prayers to register their protest against what they called record-breaking rigging of the Wednesday byelections.

At a news conference here on Thursday, Punjab PML-N secretary-general Saad Rafiq demanded fresh elections in the constituencies where written complaints had been lodged about manipulations. He said a legal battle would be fought along with a popular movement to expose the rigging.

Punjab PPP president Qasim Zia, who is also opposition leader in the Punjab Assembly, said the malpractices used by the ruling party to win the byelections would be discussed in the relevant assemblies.

Provincial PML-N president Zulfikar Khosa said the scale of rigging witnessed in the bypolls was unheard of. He said such corrupt practices were not seen in the past, and no future government would be able to break the record set by the present rulers.

He said the turnout claimed to have been seen in Gujrat and Bhakkar was bogus.

In Lahore, he said the PML-N candidate was fighting against the police an official of which was publicly claiming that he himself was Qaiser Amin Butt, the ruling party contestant. He said the credit for ‘stealing’ the election went to the Punjab chief minister and the Rangers chief.

The chief minister, he alleged, was introducing in the Punjab the culture of his native city, Gujrat. He demanded that police officials who had gone beyond the call of their duty only to please the rulers should be held accountable.

Inamullah Khan Niazi, the opposition candidate who was defeated in what is regarded as stronghold of the Sharifs, said his defeat was the result of the convergence of all criminals on the constituency and their resort to all foul methods.

He explained the role of various police officials in this regard who, he alleged, had also used derogatory language against some PML-N leaders and instigated their subordinates to torture them.

Qasim Zia said after what was seen on Wednesday, the rulers had forfeited their right to governance. “They want to unleash oppression. We’ll resist their designs.”