Says KP local bodies’ elections showed status quo opposing EVM to manipulate
LAHORE: Prime Minister Imran Khan said on Wednesday that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) will win local body elections and decisions regarding awarding tickets should be taken with consensus. The Prime Minister, who was on day-long visit to Lahore, called on the members of the Lahore Division Assembly, during which the members of the Assembly expressed reservations regarding the delimitation of local bodies. Most of the members of Lahore and Sargodha complained about the delimitation by the Election Commission. The prime minister directed the members to file objections before the ECP within the stipulated time and said that the party organization and the members of the Assembly should work together in the local body elections.
Prime Minister Khan said manipulation of polls through rejection of votes was one of the reasons the ‘status quo’ mindset opposed the use of Electronic Voting Machines (EVM). “The ability to manipulate elections through getting opposition votes rejected is one of the reasons the status quo opposes EVM,” he said in reference to the recent election of the mayor of Peshawar. The prime minister mentioned that the local government elections in Khyber Pukhtunkhwa had again shown the problem of rejected votes because of double stamping etc. He recalled that the same had come out in the Judicial Commission report on the 2013 elections. He also shared a bar graph depicting the votes rejected were greater than the winning margin.
Moreover, Prime Minister Khan directed the Punjab government to take all necessary steps in providing prompt and efficient services to the common man in the province. Talking to Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar, he also emphasized taking action against miscreants, hoarders, and occupation mafia to protect the lives, property, and interests of the people.
During the meeting, the issues related to civil administration and law and order of Punjab province were discussed, besides a detailed briefing on the progress of development projects. Chief Secretary Punjab Kamran Ali Afzal and Inspector General Punjab Rao Sardar Ali Khan were present.