SAHIWAL, Aug 11: The Punjab Bar Council vice-chairman and three other members have alleged that provincial minister Arshad Lodhi is involved in pre-poll rigging by supporting his son-in-law in the local elections.

PBC vice-chairman Asghar Ali Gil and members Farooq Azam, Mohammad Afzal and Saeed Bhutta alleged that the minister was running an election campaign of his son-in-law, Naveed Aslam Lodhi, contesting for the slot of Harappa union council nazim.

They appealed to the election commission and human rights organizations to stop the minister from using government vehicles and other resources in the campaign. They also demanded that the candidate should be disqualified.

TRANSFERRED: The returning officer on the direction of the district returning officer has transferred 10 presiding officers of UC-39, Harappa, from where Naveed Lodhi is contesting.

Those transferred are Tahir Lodhi, Ashraf Lodhi, Tariq Shah, Tahir Javed, Mrs Kalsoom, Azra Parveen, Dr Tahir and Prof Abdul Majid. It is alleged that provincial minister Arshad Lodhi managed the appointments of relatives and favourites to win the seat for his son-in-law, Naveed Lodhi.

The DRO has taken the action on the direction of the chief election commissioner.

Amin Bhutta, also a candidate for the nazim seat, had filed a complaint to the election commission in this regard.

INJURED: Five people were injured in a clash between supporters of the candidates for the top slot at Bhindari Chowk, Sahiwal city, on Wednesday night.