Daily Times

LAHORE: The Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) Sunday assured the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) of support in the NA-120 by-election and also announced to deploy its female workers at polling stations on the polling day – September 17.

In this connection, a PTI delegation comprising Chaudhry Sarwar, Hamid Meraj and Mian Mehmoodur Rasheed met PML-Q leader and former deputy prime minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi at his residence where Senator Kamil Ali Agha, Tariq Bashir Cheema, Moonis Elahi and other PML-Q leaders were also present.

The meeting decided that Senator Kamil Ali Agha would fully participate in the election campaign of PTI’s candidate for the by-election Dr Yasim Rashid

Later, leadership of both the parties addressed a joint press conference in which PML-Q leader Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi said that Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif and other accused “involved in the murder” of 14 innocent people in the Model Town tragedy would be held accountable.

He said that the Justice Baqir Najfi Report on Model Town killings would be published and those responsible for the killings would be taken to the task.

Elahi said that the PML-Q would also try to get the support of entire opposition for Dr Yasmin Rashid. He said that the media would have to play a key role in identifying “rigging” on the polling day.

Speaking on the occasion, Chaudhry Sarwar said that Kamil Ali Agha enjoyed a good influence in the NA-120 constituency and he would prove to be a good “supporter” of the PTI in the by-election campaign. He also urged the authorities concerned to make public the Justice Baqir Najfi report forthwith.

Sarwar claimed that the ruling PML-N was involved in pre-poll rigging and that the Election Commission of Pakistan was not taking notice of the issue.

He said that 29,000 votes in the constituency were not verifiable, while it had been decided to set up six polling stations in a building. He said that the party had not decided to approach the Lahore High Court in this regard.

The seat of NA-120 had fallen vacant after Nawaz Sharif was disqualified by the Supreme Court in the Panama Papers case on July 28 on charges of concealing his salary from a Dubai-based company that he claims he never received.