SAHIWAL/OKARA: The Okara A-division police have registered a case against a nominated youth and six unidentified people for damaging PML-N flags and removing election material of its candidate.

The suspects later uploaded videos of the damaging incident online ahead of Maryam Nawaz’s gathering in Okara on Monday (Jan 15).

On the complaint of Abid Mahmood, the police registered the case against Ammar, alias Hazafa, of Amir Colony, under sections 149, 148, 506, 379, 427, 171 G, and 171 of the Pakistan Penal Code and section 16 of The Punjab Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance of 1960.

The FIR stated that the suspect, along with his friends, publicly damaged 95 flexes and 45 banners with a value of Rs23,750 and Rs54,000y. The incidents occurred at 45 places, spanning from Depalpur Road and Sarwar Chowk to Ghala Mandi, Banazir Road to Kalma Chowk, and Jahaz Ground.

Mir Shamshaid Zaman, district monitoring officer in Okara appointed by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to monitor election-related violations of the code of conduct, informed Dawn that he had not received any complaint from the PML-N regarding the damaging of election material to date.

He stated that as the DMO, he would only take action upon receiving a complaint from any political party or candidate.

Despite claims by local political workers that this is an act of police highhandedness against political opponents, SHO Muhammad Ijaz denied these allegations.

Published in Dawn, January 18th, 2024