LAHORE: The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) government claims to have gathered forensic evidence of the PML-N government illegally doling out Rs2.5 billion public money to allegedly steal the September 2017 by-election of NA-120 and defeat PTI candidate Dr Yasmin Rashid.

The government now plans to transfer the inquiry into misuse of public funds from the Anti-Corruption Establishment to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) as well as a reference to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) – to set the record straight.

Adviser to the Prime Minister on Accountability and Interior Shahzad Akbar, flanked by Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid, alleged at a news conference here on Wednesday that PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz had herself arranged funds from the federal government led by Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and spent them through the Traffic Engineering and Transport Planning Agency (Tepa) to rig the NA-120 by-election.

“Besides arranging funds, Ms Nawaz called the Lahore Development Authority director general and Tepa chief engineer to her Jati Umra residence and planned the utilisation of funds during election campaign for the late Kulsoom Nawaz – in sheer violation of the ECP code of conduct.”

Dr Rashid said that she had objected to the massive development works in NA-120 during the by-poll campaign and submitted 32 petitions with the ECP. She had also protested outside the Tepa office and demanded explanation of the Rs2bn grant being utilised in the constituency, but got nothing after which she was compelled to approach the Lahore High Court. “Now, I stand vindicated that my claim of the by-election being rigged by the government machinery was true,” she said.

The minister asked Ms Nawaz why she never thought of giving respect to votes in 2017.

Besides development works, Mr Akbar claimed, the government had also collected evidence about the PML-N focal persons for the election, Bilal Yasin and Majid Zahoor, giving out cash to buy votes for the late former first lady.

He claimed the forensic evidence had been collected from forged documents, phone calls, geo locations and Whatsapp pictures as well as “confessions” of National Engineering Services Pakistan sub-engineers and deputy directors.

Answering a question regarding the Pakistan Democratic Movement rally in Gujranwala, Dr Rashid said uncontrolled gatherings such as the protest rallies were considered “high-risk factors”. “The Punjab government has developed new standard operating procedures (SOPs) for uncontrolled gatherings and presented them in the Cabinet Committee for Coronavirus,” she said, adding that she had requested the law minister to discuss the new SOPs with the opposition leaders.

Published in Dawn, October 15th, 2020