Muslim League (N) and PPP have changed the allegations of vote buying.
While the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) awaits the Punjab government’s report on the alleged event that occurred in Lahore on Saturday, the PML-N and PPP have switched accusations of vote buying.
When Attaullah Tarar, the PML-N candidate running against PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari in the Lahore constituency, stormed the PPP election office and discovered three people purportedly collecting voter CNICs after receiving payment and an oath of allegiance, tensions between the two mainstream parties.
Important press conference in #Lahore on the underhanded and illegal tactics being used by PMLN to intimidate voters, candidates, and PPP workers at 1:05pm. The Pakistan Peoples Party has faced dictators before, the PMLN is misguided in believing they can intimidate us.…
— Aseefa B Zardari (@AseefaBZ) February 4, 2024
The PPP reported that its employees had been kidnapped by “the PML-N goons,” commanded by Mr. Tarar, despite the PML-N’s claim to have turned over three PPP supporters to the Kot Lakhpat police.
In addition to posting video footage of his “raid” on the PPP office on social media and providing them to the ECP as proof, Mr. Tarar also published a clip showing three masked individuals purchasing votes at a PML-N election office.
پیپلز پارٹی والے NA 127 میں ووٹوں کی خرید و فروخت کرتے رنگے ہاتھوں پکڑے گئے، لوگوں سے ووٹ کے لیے قرآن پاک اور مقدس کتابوں پر حلف لیے جا رہے تھے ، بلاول صاحب لاہور کا امن خراب کرنے آئے ہیں، مکمل قانونی کارروائی کروائیں گے۔ موقع پر میڈیا لے کر پہنچا اور پکڑ لیا pic.twitter.com/cATZ468s7i
— Attaullah Tarar (@TararAttaullah) February 3, 2024
Election cell coordinator for PPP Senator Taj Haider also asked that Mr. Tarar be removed from the polls in a letter to the ECP because of his “hooliganism” at the party headquarters.
The letter stated that when PPP candidate from PP-160, Mian Misbahur Rehman, was conducting campaign activities and preparing poll workers for an upcoming training session, Mr. Tarar, accompanied by “over 300 goons,” broke into his Lahore office.
The letter questioned why Punjab Police personnel were providing support to Mr. Tarar and his forces during the incursion.
The PPP further claimed that police collusion was evident in the harassment and intimidation of its candidates, which were occurring all over Punjab.
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