January 29, 2008	Tuesday	Muharram 19, 1429

LAHORE, Jan 28: The PML-N on Monday asked the Election Commission to help it lodge an FIR against PML-Q candidate Liaquat Abbas Bhatti from NA-103 and PP-107 and disqualify him for pre-poll rigging.

PML-N President Shahbaz Sharif made this demand during a press conference here.

He said Tehsil Nazim (Pindi Bhattian) Ansar Abbas Bhatti on Sunday raided a school and found employees of the education department preparing polling bags for rigging polls in favour of the PML-Q candidate.

They were stuffing the bags with signed lists of polling agents, signed authority letters, stickers of the PML-Q and some other supporting material. Led by the assistant education officer, more than 15 employees of the education department were doing the job, he claimed.

The nazim filmed the entire episode and took it to the local police station as proof and lodge an FIR against the PML-Q candidate and employees of the education department. But, the police, instead of lodging an FIR against PML-Q candidate, booked the PML-N workers who had gone there as complainant.

Two FIRs - 30/08 and 31/08 - were lodged against the PML-N candidate’s brother and 40 unknown people from the constituency. Sixteen more people were nominated in the same FIR. In second FIR, another nine people were nominated and 50 unknown were booked. The police has arrested six workers of the PML-N and conducting raids to arrest candidates for the national assembly and provincial assembly, he said.

He said when the PML-N leadership sent lawyers from Lahore to assist its people, they were detained at gunpoint by the PML-Q people, who took them to local police station after thrashing them badly. They were freed after two-hour detention but local police had impounded their vehicle.

In these circumstances, the Election Commission must intervene and help lodge an FIR against the culprits, besides disqualifying the PML-Q candidate. Those employees of the government departments like police, education and district administration, who were getting involved in malpractices should also been taken to task. It should also order quashing of FIR against PML-N candidates and workers, the PML-N president demanded.

Mian Shahbaz Sharif also alleged that despite lapse of last date, PML-Q candidates were still getting postal ballot papers they intend to use for rigging elections. “Those government employees who refuse to cooperate with them are being threatened to be thrown out of jobs. All this is going under the direct supervision of the caretakers and district governments,” he claimed.