PML-N’s no to demand to postpone NA-133 by-election
Observer Report Lahore
The Election Commission of Pakistan on Saturday rejected the nomination papers of Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Food Security Jamshed Iqbal Cheema for the NA-133 (Lahore) by-poll over anomalies found in his candidature.
The nomination papers of his wife, Musarrat Cheema, who was his covering candidate were also rejected for similar reasons.
According to Returning Officer Syed Basit Ali Shah, the proposers for the two were not residents of the constituency as required under the election laws.
The anomalies were found during the scrutiny of papers at the ECP offices after objections to their nominations had been raised by PML-N’s Advocate Naseer Bhutta and others.
Baffled at the anomalies, the couple had requested the ECP to adjourn scru-tiny of their papers until Saturday.
The two were among 21 candidates who had filed their nomination papers, along with the PML-N’s Shaista Pervaiz Malik and PPP’s Chaudhry Aslam Gill, after the NA-133 seat fell vacant on the deat h of the PML-N’s Pervaiz Malik.
Meanwhile, the Pakistan Muslim League-N on Sat-urday rejected a demand by the Punjab government to postpone the by-elections of NA-133 in view of the protests by the banned Tehreek-e-Labbaik Paki-stan.
Speaking to the journalists along with MNA Ali Pervaiz Malik and PML-N leader Nasser Bhatta in Lahore, senior PML-N leader Khawaja Saad Rafique said the Punjab government had made an excuse that the election cannot be held during the protests of the banned TLP.
“We reject this demand of the provincial govern-ment. An excuse is being made up on the spur of protest 200km away from the city.
They did not remember the law and order situation when the elec-tion commission released the schedule.
Elections should not be postponed. If elections can be held during Corona, then why not now,” he said.
The PML-N stalwart mentioned that the laws made through the ordinance will be challenged, adding that they have no legal status.
Ensuring the victory of Shaista Pervaiz Malik, Khawaja Saad Rafique said that the incumbent gov-ernment is a product of rigging and the EVM has no right to conduct these elections.
The former railways minister said that the election arena is ready, now the government wants to flee.
“The province has been turned into rubble during the rule of three and a half years. False excuses should not affect the election schedule. They want something else or running away from this election.”
