LAHORE
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Sunday alleged that police and local administration instigated an attack on the former information minister Fawad Chaudhry’s vehicle amid Lahore by-election.
PTI Central Punjab Information Secretary Musarat Jamshed told the media that Fawad, along with former finance minister Shaukat Tareen, was visiting polling stations to inspect the polling process in PP-168 when his vehicle was attacked by some miscreant, who was later arrested from the Tehreek-e-Labbaik (TLP) Pakistan camp.
She alleged that police had played the role of spectator and provided protection to attackers who broke the windshields of Fawad’s vehicle. However, the PTI leader remained safe during the attack, she added.
Jamshed underscored that it is a matter of concern that the PTI’s central leader was attacked in the presence of heavy police deployment.
Polling for by-elections for the 20 constituencies of the Punjab Assembly continued till 5pm in most districts with Section 144 implemented to establish law and order in the province.
Some unpleasant incidents were reported. According to the commission’s spokesperson, the Election Commission Control Room received six complaints related to fights between voters and political workers, out of which three were resolved immediately, and that “authorities are taking steps to control the situation”.
CEC Sikander Sultan Raja said in a statement that “strict action will be taken” against “those involved in creating issues in the election process” and that if candidates participate in such acts “they may also be disqualified”.
A fight is reported to have broken out between political workers at the polling station of Panjar in Rawalpindi.
