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GUJRANWALA, Nov 19: A large number of public transport vehicles were impounded on Saturday by the district administration and police to carry the polling staff and election materials to polling stations for by-election on PP-97 (Gujranwala).
Reports said the police led by magistrates and the Regional Transport Authority (RTA) secretary set up pickets on the GT Road at the General Bus Stand and Gondlanwala Chowk and impounded vehicles after forcing passengers, including women and children, to vacate them.
Commuters, who had to face great hardships in reaching their destination, condemned the act of the district administration and police. Most of them had to travel on trucks and motorcycle-rickshaws.
They alleged that a large number of vehicles had been seized some two days ago to carry voters and government officials to Qila Dedar Singh to participate in the Punjab chief minister’s public meeting.
BYPOLLS: Provincial election commissioner Rahim Nawaz Khan has said that ministers and parliamentarians will not be allowed to enter polling stations.
Speaking at a high-level meeting held here on Saturday to review law and order during by-election on PP-97 seat, he said that miscreants would be arrested on the spot while complete security would be provided to the polling staff.
He said that all presiding officers had been delegated magisterial powers and they could get arrested anybody involved in sabotaging or rigging at polling stations.
Mr Khan gave out that some half a dozen polling stations in Ladheywala Warraich and two in Ghakkhar had been declared sensitive.
He urged the police officers to deploy police force at all polling stations to maintain the law and order situation.
DIG Zafar Abbas Lak, DRO Mazher Hussain Minhas, DCO Khalid Masood Chaudhry, DPO Dr Arif Mushtaq, deputy election commissioner Bajyar Khan and other senior officers were also present on the occasion.
