NA-75 Daska by-election: PML-N demands ‘live televised coverage’ of probe

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) Monday demanded ‘televised live coverage’ of investigation into allegations regarding foul play in National Assembly’s constituency NA-75 Daska (Sialkot) by-election.

“We hope that ECP would launch a thorough investigation into worst kind of rigging in Daska under the direct patronage of federal and provincial administrative machineries…,” said PML-N leader and former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, speaking to the media outside ECP.

“The live coverage is permissible under the law. There should be open trial to expose the dirty deeds of the rulers,” he said after attending a consultative meeting between ECP and political parties regarding Code of Conduct for upcoming Senate polls.

Abbasi alleged that presiding officers of NA-15 by-poll were ‘kidnapped’ to rig the by-poll in favour of the ruling party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

He claimed that PML-N emerged victorious ‘with a wide margin’ in the by-poll while all efforts were being made to change the by-poll result.

Nosheen Iftikhar, the PML-N’s candidate for NA-15 by-poll, requested the ECP to announce forthwith the results of the election.

On the occasion, PML-N’s Marriyum Aurangzeb, Javed Abbasi and Tariq Fazal Chaudhry also strongly criticised the federal and Punjab governments in connection with Daska by-poll controversy.

Other leaders including former prime minister Raja Pervez Ashraf from Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Mian Aslam from Jama’at-e-Islami, and Mian Iftikhar Hussain from Awami National Party (ANP) among others also delivered anti-government speeches and claimed that their joint alliance Pakistan Democratic Movement’s (PDM) victory in Nowshera by-poll was a huge setback for the PTI and the results of Senate elections would “lay foundation to send this government packing.”

“This government is on its way to pack up,” Iftikhar said.

On the other hand, PTI leaders including Mian Muhammad Umar and others came down hard on the opposition parties and said the entire opposition ‘ganged up’ against one party — PTI to conceal their corruption. They said the results of Senate elections would prove to be a “last nail in PDM’s coffin.”

Mustafa Malik from PML-Q said PDM is not in position to pose threat to the ruling coalition at the centre and in Punjab.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021