LAHORE: The Pakistan Peoples Party-Workers (PPP-W) on Tuesday alleged that pre-poll rigging was going on in NA-120 to manoeuvre results of the upcoming by-poll in favour of PML-N candidate Begum Kulsoom Nawaz.

The allegations were levelled by PPP-W central leader Naheed Khan and party President Dr Safdar Abbasi during a door-to-door election campaign in Anarkali, Panorama and adjacent markets.

Sardar Hur Bukhari, Saleem Khan, Aamna Zaidi, Ibn-i-Rizvi and the party’s candidate for NA-120, former MPA Sajida Mir, were also present.

Naheed said the rulers on one hand claimed to be champions of democracy and on the other were using all available state resources to manoeuvre results of the NA-120 by-poll in favour of their candidate. She said the rulers who thought Punjab and Lahore were their private estate would be brought to justice soon. The pitiable condition of the people of this constituency was now before the world and they were seeking an opportunity to take revenge from the rulers through the by-poll.

She said the mission of the slain PPP leadership was in the hands of its diehard ideological workers who will surprise their political opponents in the upcoming general elections.

Dr Abbasi alleged that the PML-N government was violating the code of conduct set by the Election Commission of Pakistan and regretted no institution was taking them to account. He exhorted people to avail this opportunity and cast their vote to elect an honest candidate in the by-poll.

Sajida Mir said PPP workers and supporters gave her extraordinary support that showed their commitment towards the ideology of Benazir and Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. She said she had struggled all her life for the supremacy of democracy and would continue to do so.

Published in Dawn, September 13th, 2017