ISLAMABAD: A day before the crucial by-polls in Punjab set to determine who will be the chief minister in the July 22 re-election, former interior minister and Awami Muslim League (AML) chief Sheikh Rashid on Saturday asked the establishment to “stay away” from the by-elections and prove its “impartiality”.
“I want to discuss something important with the establishment. Tomorrow is a very important day. I have never seen such an election in the country’s history. I want to request them to stay away from the [by-]elections. The nation will not tolerate any rigging or ghunda gardi (hooliganism),” he said in a video message posted on Twitter.
“The establishment would have to prove its impartiality in tomorrow’s by-elections on 20 Punjab Assembly seats,” he added.
Sheikh Rashid also spoke about the government’s formation of a special ministerial committee to pursue high treason proceedings against top office-holders of the former PTI government, including former premier Imran Khan.
Assails govt move to pursue high treason proceedings against PTI leaders
“This is a detailed judgement, not a [fresh] judgement]. These people, who have been imposed on the nation through one or two extra votes, are foolish,” he said.
Meanwhile, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah Khan on Saturday warned PTI Chairman Imran Khan against inciting violence during the by-elections.
“Imran Niazi and PTI must refrain from disrupting the peaceful proceedings of tomorrow’s by-elections by inciting riots or violence. The law will take its due course if anyone tries to sabotage the writ of the state by indulging in unlawful activities,” he tweeted.
The interior minister said he has received reports that over 500 miscreants of the party have been brought to Punjab to sabotage the elections process.
The plea seeking permission for appointing polling agents hailing from outside the constituency concerned was part of the conspiracy, Mr Sanaullah added.
“Imran Khan has lost elections and he is preparing to fight with the masses,” he said, warning the PTI chief and the party’s tiger force to keep themselves within the ambit of the law.
Lashing out at the PTI, the interior minister said that the party has made a plan of clashes between Pakhtuns and Punjabis. He accused PTI’s Pervez Khattak, Asad Qaiser, Ali Mohammad Khan and Murad Saeed of sheltering the “miscreants”.
Imran Khan would be responsible for the consequences if PTI’s tigers attempt to disrupt the elections, he said, adding that they would not be allowed to steal the mandate of the people in the 20 constituencies.
He vowed to ensure fair and peaceful by-elections in the province.
Published in Dawn, July 17th, 2022
