Daily Times

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz Sharif on Friday said that by challenging the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) order of re-polling in NA-75 Sialkot-IV constituency, the federal government has proven that it has ‘stolen’ the public mandate in the recently held by-election there.

The statement comes a day after the PTI-led government announced challenging the ECP’s decision in court following a cabinet meeting presided over by Prime Minister Imran Khan. The ECP had on Thursday declared the by-poll held on February 19 as void and ordered a fresh election in the entire constituency on March 18 – a move which PML-N welcomed.

“Challenging the decision of ECP proves that you (the government) have committed the theft [of people’s vote], and saving the officers involved in vote theft confirms that it was committed at your behest,” Maryam Nawaz wrote on her official Twitter handle. She said that when Justice (r) Wajihuddin Ahmed revealed PTI’s alleged election fraud in the intra-party polls, he was expelled from the party. “And now you are appealing [in Supreme Court] when ECP caught your vote theft,” she added. “When people are with you (PTI) then why are you running away? Are you anxious to protect the officials involved in rigging because they will take your name in court? Your game is over,” she further said.

Meanwhile, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Syed Shibli Faraz said on Friday that the opposition’s appreciation for the ECP has exposed its political hypocrisy as it has been protesting against the commission in past. In a tweet, he said changing stance and negating its own narrative has become a hallmark of the opposition. He said opposition only accepted those decisions, which come in its favour. He said opposition only considers those elections as transparent in which it wins, otherwise it makes hue and cry in the name of rigging.