• Party asks ECP to ensure election results aren’t notified till decision on plea
• Omar Ayub files another petition, alleges officials interfering in polls at behest of govt
• Marriyum Aurangzeb says rigging allegations a confession of Imran’s defeat

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) on Wednesday moved the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) seeking a bar on 16 of its 20 de-seated defectors from contesting the upcoming by-polls in Punjab scheduled for Sunday (July 17).

All 20 former PTI lawmakers in the Punjab Assembly, who had been de-seated for defecting in favour of Hamza Shehbaz in the election for the chief minister, are now contesting the by-polls from their respective constituencies on PML-N tickets.

“The party tickets, by PML-N, have been given to these defectors as a reward for their participation in a conspiracy which succeeded due to their unholy, immoral and unlawful defection,” the petition filed through Advocate Faisal Fareed stated. After being declared guilty of defection, these former lawmakers were “judicially stigmatised and cannot contest the elections”.

It further said the respondents, under Article 5 of the Constitution, were to ensure that their personal and official conduct met the best standards of democratic norms and integrity of their office in the provincial assembly.

“They contumaciously violated the same and caused the downfall of their own government in Punjab. They, without any scruples, violated their party oath as well as the oath taken under Article 65 read with Article 127 along with their oath taken as contained in the Third Schedule to the Constitution,” it read. “As per… Article 62(1)(f) of the Constitution, the respondents are not eligible to contest or to be elected as a member of the Punjab assembly in the scheduled elections to be held on July 17. They are most certainly disqualified for the same.”

The ECP had to ensure that those who did not meet the criteria of Articles 62 and 63 were not allowed to contest elections and their disqualification was enforced as per the commission’s own order/judgement. The petition sought the ECP to debar the respondents from taking part in the upcoming by-polls and, as an interim measure, issue instructions to all concerned not to notify the poll results till a decision on the petition.

In a related development, former federal minister and PTI Additional Secretary General Omar Ayub Khan filed yet another petition with the ECP alleging pre-poll rigging in the Punjab by-polls and sought the commission take remedial measures.

“…the way things are in Punjab, no free, fair, transparent, or impartial elections can be held. Even after the election date was announced as 17-07-22, developmental work has been announced in various constituencies, which is a clear violation of Section 181 of the Elections Act of 2017,” it read.

It alleged that officials, on the instructions of the government, were interfering in the upcoming elections. “A prime example is of the Rajanpur deputy commissioner (DC), who can be seen campaigning for PML-N candidates, which is a clear violation of both ethics and Section 187 of the Elections Act of 2017,” the petition further stated, while purported pictures of the DC’s activities were annexed with the plea.

It alleged that similarly in Jhang, Dr Ghias Gill had been posted as the district police chief clearly for pre-poll rigging; previously, former PTI MNAs Sahibzada Muhammad Mehboob Sultan and Sahibzada Ameer Sultan – from NA-114 and NA-116, respectively -- had moved a privilege motion against him in the National Assembly, and he held a grudge against the party.

Mr Khan further alleged in his petition that in PP-07, the ruling party candidate, Raja Sagheer Ahmed, was offering bribes to voters to influence them, in clear violation of sections 167 and 168 of the Elections Act 2017 as well as constitutional provisions.

The PTI once again alleged that voters’ list had been altered and voters reshuffled in violation of the elections law. As an example, it cited the issuance of the final electoral roll in PP-140 Sheikhupura after announcement of the election schedule. The number of voters in the constituency had increased from 2,239 on May 20, 2018 to 5,573 on May 20, 2022.

“This sudden increase is ambiguous and casts serious doubts on the transparency of upcoming by-elections,” it stated.

The petitioner asked the ECP to address all the related petitions and remedy the issues prior to the polls to guarantee free, fair, transparent, and impartial elections.

‘Allegations a confession of defeat’

Meanwhile, Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb on Wednesday claimed the PTI leadership’s allegations of rigging were, in fact, a confession of party chief Imran Khan’s defeat in the upcoming by-elections.

In a statement, she said former prime minister Imran Khan and his ministers not only openly violated the ECP rules while in power, but also threatened it. On the other hand, PML-N ministers resigned from their offices to abide by the rules, the state-owned APP reported.

The minister said by-elections were yet to be held, but Imran had already started mourning. “The ECP is actually being targeted by Imran Khan because of the foreign funding case,” she claimed.

Ms Aurangzeb said Mr Khan’s former ministers were caught red-handed distributing money during election campaigns, announcing development schemes and rigging the elections.

Published in Dawn, July 14th, 2022