MULTAN: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf Vice Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi says efforts are under way to sabotage the democratic system by levelling the allegations of rigging.

Talking to media here on Sunday, the PTI vice chairman said no party, including the PML-N and the PPP, was being barred from running the election campaign.

He said everyone was aware that Nawaz Sharif would be arrested at the airport but Shahbaz Sharif did not reach there.

“Shahbaz Sharif should not misguide his workers as his rally was not stopped by anyone at anywhere,” he said. The PTI leader said ‘wrong’ policies of former president Asif Ali Zardari damaged the party.

“The democratic process should move forward. The terrorists are the enemy of peace and democracy. Firing incidents at the rally of Jamaat-i-Islami Emir Sirajul Haq and Mastung incident have saddened me,” he said.

He said the elements who wanted to sabotage the election should be discouraged.

Later addressing a gathering in which Shoaib Hashmi, candidate for PP-217, announced his withdrawal in favour of Mr Qureshi, he said the PTI was gaining strength with the passage of time.

“The political opponents of the PTI, including the PPP and PML-N, are in mental stress due to the increasing popularity of the party. Both the parties are planning to join hands secretly,” he said.He said PTI Chairman Imran Khan would address a public gathering on July 20 at Kila Kohna Qasim Bagh.

“Despite all threats, our election campaign will continue and we are not going to cancel any of our public gatherings,” he said.

“The Election Commission is going to hold free and transparent election. Shahbaz Sharif is aware of outcome of his poor performance and he did not go to the airport to welcome Nawaz Sharif,” Qureshi said.

Published in Dawn, July 16th, 2018