SAHIWAL: After the court verdict against PML-N supreme leader Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam, many political elements who had been sitting on the fence so far have started switching over to the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) camp.

On Friday night, Pakistan Sunni Tehreek (PST) district president Muhammad Ijaz Qadri announced his party’s support for PTI candidates in the district.

Talking to the media in the presence of PTI candidates Chaudhry Nouraz Shakoor (NA-147) and Shaikh Muhammad Chohan (PP-197), Mr Qadri said the decision was taken by the PST central leadership.

He criticised the PML-N governments policies and performance during the last 10 years.

He said that by awarding death sentence to Mumtaz Qadri, the killer of Punjab governor Salman Taseer, attempting to amend the oath of public representatives and showing a “soft corner” for India, the PML-N government had hurt sentiments of millions of Muslims.

He also rapped Nawaz for remaining silent on the arrest of RAW agent Kulbhoshan and supporting trade relations with New Delhi, saying such gestures would not be tolerated by religious political parties.

“It is in this background that the PST decided to support the PTI candidates,” he said.

During the press conference, a former PML-N traders wing activist, Rao Ashfaq Ahmed, and PPP activist Khalid Mahmood Chogata also announced joining the PTI.

SECURITY: The district police have devised a comprehensive plan for providing “fool proof” security at the polling stations during the upcoming elections.

District Police Officer Gulam Mubashir Makan told the media in his office polling stations had been assigned A, B and C categories according to their sensitivity. He said special security arrangements for these polling stations had been made with the help of army teams. He said the police were strictly monitoring the election campaign in the district to check any violation of the ECP code of conduct.

He said three cases had so far been registered against different candidates, while one of them, PPP’s Amir Shahbaz (NA-147), was fined Rs50,000 for violation of CoC.

He said there was a complete ban on taking out motorcycle and car rallies in the district without permission of the district administration.

The corner meetings could be held in-doors only, while for holding such events outdoors permission must be sought, he added.

The DPO said no political party had so far sought permission for holding a big political gathering for which Zafar Ali Stadium had been marked.

Deputy Commissioner Zaman Wattoo told the media that 15 chairmen and vice chairmen of union councils had been issued show cause notices for organising political events for different candidates.

Published in Dawn, July 8th, 2018