JHANG, Sept 2: As many as 20 councillors have accused Massan police station SHO Rana Rustam Ali of abusing his authority to muster support for the PML-Q’s candidate for the district Naib Nazim’s election.

In separate applications addressed to the relevant returning officer, the councillors alleged that the SHO had been forcing them to vote for Sheikh Muhammad Yaqoob, who claims himself to be a PML-Q ticket-holder nominated by Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi.

Talking to reporters at a local lawyer’s office in the district courts on Tuesday, the councillors described the SHO’s interference as “beginning of an organized pre-poll rigging by the Jhang police on the orders of the chief minister to get his nominee elected.”

The councillors also distributed the copies of their petitions among the reporters. According to the applications read out to the newsmen, Rana Rustam, accompanied by a police team, visited their houses from Aug 26 to Aug 28, and asked them to vote for Mr Yaqoob, who he said was the official candidate for the polls.

The petitioners also alleged the SHO had demanded their NID cards and threatened those who refused to comply with his instructions. Attached to the petitions were attested affidavits of the councillors.

Prominent among the petitioners were Rab Nawaz, Ghulam Mustafa, Anwar Khan and Chaudhry Shahadat Ali (all from UC 76, Pirkot), Muhammad Khan Jherki from UC Hassan Khan, and Ali Muhammad Rajana from UC Rasoolpur.

Meanwhile, the returning officer has forwarded the petitions to the DPO so that he could take appropriate action in this regard.

Sheikh Muhammad Yaqoob, a prominent figure in business, is in the run against Syed Asad Hayat, younger brother of Federal Interior Minister Faisal Saleh Hayat.

Canvassing: Canvassing for the district Naib Nazim’s slot has picked up steam, as both the candidates are making all-out efforts to gain maximum support.

Federal Interior Minister Syed Faisal Saleh Hayat’s brother Asad Hayat and Sheikh Muhammad Yaqoob, who enjoys support from Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi, are out to attract a maximum number of voters.

Asad Hayat has recently succeeded in obtaining the support of the Jamaat-i-Islami, which announced support for him at a press conference on Tuesday.

Speaking on the occasion, JI district amer Bahadur Khan Jhagar claimed the Jamaat had decided to support Asad Hayat to discourage dictatorship. He said Sheikh Yaqoob, who has no political background, had been nominated by the Punjab chief minister by exercising his authority.