LAHORE: Asserting the battle in NA-120 is not yet over, the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf has again challenged the 29,000 unverified votes with the Election Commission of Pakistan and is all set to approach the Lahore High Court for remedy.

The PTI will also challenge the ECP for what it called its failure in establishing its writ to check the code of conduct violations reported through 25 petitions.

“The PTI will not let the ECP announce the NA-120 by-election results till the verification of 29,000 votes and action against code of conduct violations,” said the party’s defeated candidate Dr Yasmin Rashid at a news conference here on Monday.

She was flanked by party leaders Ejaz Chaudhry and MPA Shoaib Siddiqui.

Seeks action against code of conduct violators

Dr Rashid said she had petitioned the ECP for verification of over 29,000 votes that did not carry thumb impressions, CNIC numbers and family numbers but the commission turned a deaf ear to her plea for 10 days. Eventually, on the orders of the Lahore High Court, she said, the ECP provided the party a “heap of trash” for Rs58,000 that carried names of the people without explaining their particulars and whereabouts.

With regard to the unverified votes, she said, the ECP did not comply with the LHC orders in its letter and spirit. She said the ECP also failed to take notice of the use of state resources, black money, development works and visits of ministers and advisors showering favours, including government jobs, on the residents of NA-120 constituency (to get their votes).

The ECP only rose from its deep slumber when the party chairman Imran Khan announced a rally on The Mall and Lower Mall to pay homage to the saint Hazrat Ali Hajvery at Data Darbar, she said.

Dr Rashid regretted that disqualified prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s daughter Maryam Nawaz, who was running her mother’s campaign, also exploited those living in abject poverty by threatening them with discontinuation of zakat – through the zakat committees’ chairmen in the constituency.

She said a majority of those who voted for the PML-N were looking after their vested interests. “I will continue compelling the government to complete the development works started in the constituency, besides provision of safe drinking water and decent sewerage system (to NA-120 residents).”

PTI campaign in charge Ejaz Chaudhry said the 30-day campaign by Dr Rashid had caused a big dent in the citadel of PML-N and added that PML-N’s 30,000 votes reduced, while PTI bagged just 5,000 less votes as compared to the voting trend in 2013 general elections.

Stating that Maryam’s “conspiracy theory” had been exposed, he said the whole Sharif family had gradually flown out of the country. He also alleged that the PML-N had “bought” 276 votes for Rs2 million, but he would reveal details of this “corruption” after receiving complete evidence.

MPA Shoaib Siddiqui also spoke.

Published in Dawn, September 19th, 2017