RAWALPINDI: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) on Thursday approached the army with a request to supervise the local government elections scheduled to be held in Rawalpindi on December 5, alleging the police were pressuring its candidates to withdraw in favour of the PML-N.

In a letter, PTI central public relations secretary Zahid Kazmi asked the commander of 10 Corps to play his role in providing a level-playing field for all the candidates. He said the local administration and the police had become a party.

Talking to Dawn, Mr Kazmi said in Union Council 42 the PTI candidate for the post of vice-chairman, Raja Tariq Bin, and his brother were pressured by the PML-N candidate Sajjad Khan to withdraw. He said the local police were patronising the ruling party candidates.

“PML-N is violating the election code of conduct. For creating same monopoly as it created in the cantonment board elections, the ruling party is using force, money or any other tactic,” said the letter, a copy available with Dawn.

In a letter to corps commander, PTI leader says PML-N is using police to pressure opposition candidates

The letter alleged that the PML-N was putting pressure on the opposition candidates by using government machinery and even taking support from banned organisations.

“They (PML-N candidates) are openly displaying guns. All these tactics are used to put pressure on the citizens to vote for them.”

It says the police are openly supporting the PML-N candidates and also escorting them in the union councils.

“Therefore, you are requested to take notice of all the stated matters and instruct the related offices to remain neutral. Moreover, the elections may be conducted under the direct supervision of Army,” added the letter.

When asked why the PTI did not bring the issue into the notice of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), Mr Kazmi said, “The ECP is working on the dictate of the ruling party and we don’t trust it and have contacted Pakistan Army.”

He said in two phases of the LG elections, the ECP did not listen to the complaints raised by the PTI and other opposition parties regarding mismanagement and violations of the code of conduct by the ruling party.

On the other hand, a PML-N local leader said the PTI’s move was tantamount to engaging the army in purely political matters, and against democratic traditions.

Talking to Dawn, former PML-N MNA Malik Shakil Awan said seeking army’s role in the election process exposed the democratic credentials of Imran Khan’s party.

He said the local administration and police were neutral and the ruling party never got any help from the bureaucracy.

“We will take the statement of the PTI as an acceptance of its defeat before the elections. The PTI earlier made a hue and cry about rigging after the elections but it has now changed its strategy and declared the elections rigged even before the polling,” he said.

He lashed out at the PTI for the allegation of the use of police for influencing the elections and said, “Had we tried to influence the candidates, the PML-N city president Sardar Naseem would have been elected unopposed.”

Mr Awan said the PTI faced defeat in the cantonment areas and would face similar results in the LG polls both in rural and urban areas. He said people were fed up with the politics of agitations and wanted development.

Published in Dawn, November 20th, 2015