PPP questions MML canvass in NA-04, asks ECP for action

Farid Shinwari

PESHAWAR: Raising legal questions over electioneering by unregistered Milli Muslim League (MML), the Pakistan Peoples Party asked Election Commission of Pakistan to take stringent action against the party, backed by banned terrorist outfits, for distributing money among voters a head of by-polls in NA-04 Peshawar.

It is worth mentioning here that ECP had earlier rejected MML, s application for party’s registration after Interior Ministry had asked in a letter from ECP to ban the political party because it had ties with proscribed militants’ outfits.

Accusing the banned radical outfit for not being registered with ECP, PPP central and provincial leaders including Senator Robina Khalid, Nighat Orakzai MPA, Gohar Inqilabi and others, during a news conference on Friday at Peshawar Press Club, said that it (MML) was actively running the election campaign in constituency. They blamed the MML party for resorting

The provincial information secretary of Pakistan People’s Party Parliamentarian senator Robina Khalid demanded of the Election commission of Pakistan to take notice of gross violation of election commission code of conduct in the NA-4 by-election campaign and predicted that PPP candidate Asad Gulzar Khan would clinch fisting success in the By -Poll.

PPP leaders pointed out that PTI national and provincial legislators are clearly violating the rules of election commission by initiating development schemes before heydays of by-elections in constituency. Regarding Provincial Ministers and Advisors including Shah Farman, Fazl-e-Elahi, Ishtiaq Urmar and others, they clearly said they were involved in pre-poll rigging by participating in election drive in the constituency.

Accusing Federal Advisor to Prime Minister, Ameer Muqam, they said he (Muqam) was also involved in initiating development schemes in form of awarding power transformers to people along with installing gas pipelines in NA-04 constituency. However, both ruling parties in center and province are using illegally all available resources to influence the by-poll in the area, they informed.

Chairman PPP, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, will conduct visiting Peshawar on Sunday to address public meeting at Zagali area as party of electioneering for his party’s aspirant, PPP leaders said and adding their party candidate would clinch the seat. In order to give tough time to opponent parties, they claimed their campaign was underway in full swing in the area.

Lashing out at ruling party in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, They stated that PTI had claimed to bring about real change in the province but it severely failed to facilitate masses. Though, PPP will bring change in KP if it came into power in forthcoming general polls in 2018.

PPP leaders eulogized the stance of Election Commission for deploying Army troops on the Election Day and demanded that Election Commission should take notice of the gross violation of code of conduct by the political parties.