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Friday March 29, 2024

‘Any bid to influence polls not to be tolerated’

By Our Correspondent
July 20, 2018

LAHORE: The PML-N central leader Senator Mushahid Hussain has said the fate of the country will be decided by the people of Pakistan on July 25.

Addressing the audience at the PML-N launch of a comprehensive Anti-Rigging System (ARS), he warned that all any effort to meddle with the election process and results would not be tolerated by the people of Pakistan as media reports, polls and public rallies are proof of the fact that PML-N is going to win this elections while the PTI chairman is addressing empty chairs.

Social Media activists and civil society organisations held at the PML-N Headquarters at Modal Town, Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed, who was the chairman of the conference, announced a system that will coordinate between PML-N candidates, their constituencies, with legal aid teams from the PML-N Lawyers Forum, social media teams of the PML-N and any attempt of the rigging would be fully exposed, resisted and reported to the Election Commission, the Election observers and the media immediately.

During the conference, briefings were given by Zahid Hamid, Chairman PML-N Election Cell, Ch Naseer Ahmed Bhutta, President PML-N Lawyer Forum, a representative of the Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) as well as Atif Rauf, head of PML-N Social Media, there was also an hour of question and answer session.

All the participants were also provided the material giving guidelines for candidates and election agents so they are fully aware of their rights and responsibilities.

The participants questioned the efficiency of the system considering the fact that mobile-phones were not allowed inside the polling stations. They also shared the irregularities regarding locations of certain polling stations and shifting of hundreds of votes of a particular constituency into another with no notification to the voter and without any logical justification. The matter of army personnel being deputed inside the polling station in addition to outside was also questioned by the attending PML-N Polling-Agents. However, the PML-N Anti-Rigging Cell could not satisfy them with their answers or provide any substantial failsafe to these rather alarming steps that made the process vulnerable.

Former MQM Senator Tahir Hussain Mashhadi announced joining PML-N during the convention amidst chants of “Vote Ko Izzat Do (respect and honour public vote)”. Talking on the event, he said he had made this decision because he believes that no one had even stood this steadfast against the undemocratic forces as Nawaz who had exhibited unprecedented courage to come and face a decision he doesn’t even agree with.

Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed welcomed him onboard and said that people of Pakistan already made their choice clear, as is evident from the massive turnout on July, 13 in Lahore and huge public rallies being addressed by PML-N President Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif of which Gujranwala and Rojhan are the latest examples.

Mushahid Hussain said the PML-N Lawyers Forum would be instrumental in ensuring the success of the Anti-Rigging System since any violation of law would be resisted by lawyers and those involved in rigging would also be prosecuted under the law.