FAISALABAD, Feb 17: Proclaimed offenders (PO) hired by candidates may ‘influence’ the voters in the district on Monday (today), Dawn has learnt.

Sources said most of the candidates, particularly in rural areas, had employed POs to frighten the voters in their support. Thugs have been provided with sophisticated weapons, daggers, vehicles and hideouts.

The hired gangsters will roam in their allotted areas on the polling day to panic their rivals.

Imran Ali is such a hoodlum, who has been hired by a candidate, whose identity he does not want to disclose, for the last two weeks “to muster support of masses”. He said his employer (candidate) had also hired some criminals to utilise their skills on the polling day who would do anything for his victory, come what may.

He laughed off strict security arrangements, saying police treated criminals leniently even on routine days.

Sources said polling stations in Chak Jhumra, Jaranwala, Thekariwala, Samundri and Tandlianwala had been declared sensitive because of the reported presence of criminals working for different candidates.

They said even though police officers were aware about the situation, no police pickets would be set up at entrance points of the district. Up to 62 reserved policemen will remain at Police Lines, instead of manning entry points.

Pakistan People’s Party candidate for NA-75 Tariq Mehmood Bajwa claimed candidates of the former ruling party were using hardened criminals to intimidate the voters.

Former MNA Ghulam Rasool Sahi, brother of Punjab Assembly Speaker Mohammad Afzal Sahi, is contesting for NA-75 against Mr Bajwa.

Mr Bajwa said criminal Mohammad Ashraf, alias Judge Bajwa, with a Rs200,000 head bounty, and his accomplices had been tasked by his rival with terrorising the people to vote for Sahi.

He claimed the Punjab inspector general had ordered the arrest of Judge Bajwa. He alleged senior police officials in the district were also patronising the criminals and candidates of PML-Q as well.

He said he had filed 10 complaints to the chief election commissioner and district returning officers for action, but nobody bothered to budge from his position.

A lecturer who wished not to be named said she had got her polling station changed form Chak Jhumra to the city where she was to act as a presiding officer. She said she had had done so because of reported presence of hardened criminals in Chak Jhumra.

Deputy Inspector General (Operations) Mohammad Aslam Tareen said police have also been informed about such elements, but the force would deal them with iron hands.

He said police as well as Rangers would take a quick action on receiving such complaints about hardened criminals at any polling station.

Mr Tareen said there was ban on display of arm in the district.

However, Zahid Ali, of Gulistan Cinema Road, said police would do nothing against POs being backed by the candidates of former ruling party.

He said that on Saturday night Pakistan Muslim League-Q supporters had resorted to aerial firing even in the presence of police employees on Gulistan Cinema Road.

He said police were informed about the firing, but they did not bother to arrest anyone.

“This is enough to gauge police performance and its impartiality,” he said.