MULTAN The City

The police way to check election code violation
Khanewal DPO says police received Rs500,000 good behaviour bond each from LG candidates
From Nadeem Shah
MULTAN: Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf candidates have accused SHOs of Khanewal district of receiving Rs500,000 cheque in the name of ‘good behaviour bond’ from each candidate, to stop them from violating the election code of conduct.
Talking to The News on Tuesday, PTI candidates on condition of anonymity alleged that the police were pressurising voters in Khanewal, Mian Channu, Jehanian and Tulamba to cast votes in favour of ruling party candidates. “PTI candidates are also being harassed and their houses being raided by police,” they added. They blamed Tulamba police for taking about 150-200 female voters from Sardarey Ki Bheni with them. “Later, police released them on the assurance that they would cast votes in favour of the ‘desired’ candidates,” they added.
The PTI candidates said that the police warned them of confiscating the amount if they violated the election code of conduct. They alleged that the police had cordoned off Mian Channu Chowk, Tulamba, and did not allow them to take out a rally.
PTI National Organiser Shah Mehmood Qureshi condemned police, saying that fair and transparent elections under the present regime were not possible. He demanded the chief election commissioner take notice of the situation. There are 1,434,475 voters in Khanewal district.
When contacted, Khanewal DPO Jehanzeb Nazir Khan claimed that the police had received cheques from all candidates, contesting the local government elections, irrespective of their political affiliation across the district as a good behaviour bond to ensure peace during the local government elections. “Under the law, the police may seek property documents as good behaviour surety bonds from the candidates,” he added. He said the candidates had themselves offered to submit Rs500,000 cheque instead of property documents as surety bonds.
The DPO denied harassing PTI candidates and pressurising the voters to cast votes for ‘desired’ candidates. He also denied the police involvement in political brokering. Considering Khanewal district a stronghold of the PML-N, he claimed there would be contest only among PML-N groups.
He said that Multan RPO Tariq Masood Yasin visited Khanewal on Tuesday and expressed satisfaction over security arrangements for the local government elections. He said the RPO warned the policemen not to visit Deras of the candidates, otherwise, action would be taken against them.