PTI raises questions over impartiality of ECP

• PTI leader Shahbaz Gill raises questions over impartiality of ECP on Punjab by-poll day.
• He asks, “Who is responsible for depriving someone of right to vote?”
• Punjab election commissioner, however, rejects Shahbaz Gill's allegations.   

LAHORE: Lashing out at the Election Commission of Pakistan for alleged errors in voter lists amid the crucial by-polls that are underway on 20 Punjab Assembly constituencies, PTI leader Shahbaz Gill raised questions over the impartiality of the election body.

Sharing a video of a man on his Twitter account, who claimed that the names of two of his family members are missing from the voter list, Shahbaz Gill asked, “Who is responsible for depriving someone of his right to vote?” He suggested lodging a case under Article 6 of the Constitution.

He also shared another video of a woman polling agent who claimed that rigging was being carried out in the PP-167 constituency. The woman polling agent said that she was forced to leave the polling station after her CNIC was objected to and was not allowed to enter the station for one-and-half hours and in the meantime, the voting process continued.

Gill asked, “Is this possible without the involvement of the ECP?”

In another tweet, the PTI leader criticised the polling staff at a polling station where he claimed that a woman who came to cast her vote was sent to another constituency because her name wasn't on the voters' list.

He asked who is responsible for the data operator's mistakes.

Reacting to Shahbaz Gill's allegations, the Punjab election commissioner said that the polling process shouldn't be made controversial by levelling allegations without confirmation.

He rejected the allegations of expelling polling agents out of polling stations 46 and 47 in Muzaffargarh.

The provincial election commissioner further stated that the polling agents verified by political parties are allowed to sit at the polling stations.

Meanwhile, the returning officer said that PTI's polling agent Amir Bakhsh was present at polling station number 44, but no polling agent of PTI arrived at polling station number 46.

Reacting to the PTI leader’s statement, a spokesperson of the ECP said that the chief election commissioner has given clear directions to the IG Punjab and the chief secretary of the province that no retaliatory action should be taken against any civilian/people.

The CEC has warned of strict action if retaliatory action is taken against anybody, the spokesperson added. He maintained that the CEC directed to take all possible measures to ensure free and fair elections in the province.