LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Punjab President Ejaz Chaudhry says the PML-N’s vote bank has reduced while the PTI’s has increased in the cantonment board elections.

Speaking during a news conference at PTI Punjab secretariat on Monday, he advised PML-N ministers Khawaja Saad Rafique and Pervaiz Rashid to behave like serious politicians and avoid misleading the nation. He the PML-N should know that the PTI had emerged as a national party in cantonment elections while the PML-N had been restricted to Punjab alone.

Mr Chaudhry said the party would be reviewing the situation that why it bagged less seats in Lahore and Rawalpindi cantonments. He said the PTI had supported independent candidates in Multan, Sargodha and Shorkot and they had won the election. He alleged the PML-N was trying to rig the elections in the name of re-counting in Multan, Sialkot and Gujranwala.

He said his party had bagged 33 wards’ seats in Punjab while the PML-N could not get desired results even after spending millions of rupees from the public exchequer.

“Winning of a councilor seat in the hometown of federal minister Khawaja Asif shows people’s distrust in the PML-N,” he added.

Mr Chaudhry alleged that the election commission had not made proper arrangements, adding incomplete voter lists and polling schemes had compelled most voters to stay away from the voting.

Ejaz Chaudhry said the credit for holding local elections in cantonments did not go to the PML-N but the PTI which fought for the elections in the courts and won.

He expressed his grief over the massive loss of lives and property caused by a mini cyclone that hit Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), saying the PTI fully shared the grief of the affected families. He said the KP government was offering the best treatment facilities to the injured.

PTI central joint secretary Shabbir Sial and information secretary Andleeb Abbas were also present.

CONDOLENCE: PTI, Punjab president Ejaz Chaudhry, secretary general Dr Yasmin Rashid, information secretary Andleeb Abbas and central joint secretary Shabbir Sial expressed grief over the death of Nawab Akbar Bugti’s son Talal Bugti.

Published in Dawn, April 28th, 2015

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