ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has directed the Punjab police to arrest PTI leader Jamshed Iqbal Cheema after he allegedly disrupted the law and order situation during polling in Lahore on Sunday.
According to sources in Lahore police, Jamshed Cheema will be arrested after a case is registered against him. “No one will be allowed to take the law into their hand,” the CCPO Lahore said.
Meanwhile, Punjab Interior Minister Attaullah Tarar on Sunday said that he has ordered the arrest of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders Jamshed Iqbal Cheema and Saeed Mahis.
In the statement related to the dispute in PP 158, Interior Minister said that he has taken immediate notice of the incident in Lahore. PML-N worker got a severe head injury while being tortured by the two PTI leaders.
Attaullah Tarar said that it can be seen in the footage that PML-N candidate from PP-158 Ahsan Sharafat remained peaceful during the dispute.
He further added that no one is allowed to violate the discipline and peace. Therefore, he has ordered the arrest of Jamshed Iqbal Cheema and Saeed Mahis.
It is pertinent to mention here that during the casting of votes in constituency PP-158, a fight took place. The reason for the dispute was said to be to prevent entry into the Dharmapura polling station.
PTI workers claimed that they are being prevented from entering the polling station.
Meanwhile, a large contingent of police surrounded the office of Jamshed Cheema who is flanked by PTI Punjab President Dr Yasmin Rashid.
“There was rigging ongoing in a polling station at PP-158 when I intervened and tried to stop it,” he said, adding that the PML-N activist sustained injury when he was talking to the media.
Yasmin Rashid further added that SP of the area also accompanied Jamshed Cheema when the incident occurred. She warned Atta Tarar to refrain from arresting PTI activists saying that it would violate Supreme Court’s order regarding a level-playing field for all parties in the polls.
“Two of their MPAs have resigned and they should first control their house,” she said.
The polling for the ‘do and die’ by-elections on 20 constituencies of the Punjab Assembly has begun after top leaders from PTI and PML-N led by Imran Khan and Maryam Nawaz launched a whirlwind campaign to support their candidates.
The by-polls on the 20 Punjab Assembly seats, vacated after the PTI MPAs voted for Hamza Shahbaz in the Chief Minister (CM) elections, will be conducted on Sunday. The results of the by-polls would be essential for the CM vote count, ordered by the Supreme Court of Pakistan, in the Punjab Assembly in July 2022.