Pervaiz Elahi alleges rigging in LG polls, Zaeem refutes

GUJRAT/LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) leader Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi on Monday alleged that Saturday’s Local Government elections were massively rigged by the government, a claim ruling PML-N’s Zaeem Qadri firmly refuted.

Speaking to media representatives in Gujrat, Elahi said polling staff kept on stamping ballot papers under police’s protection. He said DCOs and DPOs avoided being exiled from Punjab by assuring N-League’s success in the polls.

The PML-Q leader said his party had majority support in districts Gujrat, Kanjah and Tilla Gang, adding that the Election Commission was apprised of the government’s alleged tactics by his party prior to the local bodies elections.

He went on to say that the government has sabotaged the system of transfer of power to the grass root level through the local government act.

Responding to Elahi’s allegations, Punjab government’s spokesman Zaeem Qadri likened the former’s statement to the sour grapes phrase. People have shown mirror to Pervaiz Elahi and his colleagues in the polls, he said in a statement issued in Lahore.

Qadri said Q-League could not even find enough candidates to field for all seats of local bodies polls in Punjab, adding that hurling allegations at police and administration did not suit the party.

The PML-N leader went on to say that Chaudhry Brothers – Elahi and Shujaat Hussain – who claim to be national politicians, have been reduced to union council level.

“They couldn’t even win the election from their own union council, then what’s the use of all the hue and cry.”