Federal Information Minister Shibli Faraz on Sunday claimed that the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf had won NA-75 by-poll with a clear majority.
Talking to journalists after offering his condolences to the bereaved families in Daska, Shibli Faraz said that he came here on the directions of Prime Minister Imran Khan to commiserate with the family of PTI worker, who was killed on the polling day as a result of firing by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supporters.
Results received by our polling agents in NA 75 Daska suggest we have won the election by over 7000 votes. An election we had lost by over 30000 in the last election.
— Senator Shibli Faraz (@shiblifaraz) February 20, 2021
He maintained that the prime minister was determined to eliminate the politics of money and vandalism from the country. The minister said that after sensing defeat in the by-poll, PML-N sent Rana Sanaullah and Mian Javed Latif in the constituency to disrupt the election process.
Meanwhile, an eye-witness to the Daska by-poll firing incident and brother of a slain PTI activist narrated the entire episode which claimed the lives of at least two people and injured many others during the polling process.
The brother of slain activist Majid said that PML-N’s Javed Butt and Hamza Butt opened fire on him and his brothers and later fled in their vehicles.
“There is video evidence of Javed Butt opening fire on my brothers, which led to the death of one of my brothers and injury to another,” he said while flanked by top PTI leaders including Shibli Faraz, Firdous Ashiq Awan and others during a presser
Special Assistant to Chief Minister (SACM) Punjab on Information Dr. Firdous Ashiq Awan has claimed that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) is winning the NA-75 Daska by-poll with the lead of 7,827 votes.
ڈسکہ NA75 ضمنی الیکشن کے تمام 360 پولنگ سٹیشنز کے نتائج کے مطابق پاکستان تحریک انصاف 7,827 ووٹس کی برتری حاصل کرکے میدان مار چکی ہے! ن لیگ کے احسن اقبال، جاوید لطیف، کنیز جونیئر اور عطا تارڑ نے RO کو یرغمال بنارکھا ہے۔ الیکشن نتائج کا اعلان کرنے سے روکا جا رہا ہے!
— Dr. Firdous Ashiq Awan (@Dr_FirdousAwan) February 20, 2021
In her media talk outside the Returning Officer’s office, Firdous Ashiq Awan said that PML-N has requested a delay in the announcement of the result, the CEC has forwarded the matter to the provincial election commission to probe.
She raised questions over RO for not discharging his duties properly. Awan said challenging the result is right of Ahsan Iqbal, but results should be announced first.
The SACM Punjab said that she stands by her tweet that the PTI candidate is winning NA-75 by-poll by 7,827 votes and added that PML-N wants results of their choice.
On Friday, at least two Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) supporters were killed and three others sustained injuries after violence erupted outside a polling station during Daska by-polls, said SACM on Information Firdous Ashiq Awan.
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She said during a presser that PML-N goons attacked two brothers, who were supporters of PTI, and killed them besides also injuring three others.
Zeeshan and Majid Khan were killed in an attack from the PML-N activists, she had said adding that two others namely Tayyab, Haider and Sajid sustained injuries. The SACM Punjab said that the attackers would not be spared and would be brought to justice.
Notably, the seat of NA-75 Tehsil Daska, District Sialkot was vacated after the death of PML-N’s MNA Syed Iftikhar-ud-Din in August 2020. PML-N gave the ticket to his daughter, Nosheen Iftikhar, in the by-election.
PML-N’s Rana Sanaullah had petitioned for the polling time to be increased in view of the disruption. He accused the “government’s thugs” to attempting to thin out the voter turnout with violence, claiming that PTI’s polling camps were all empty and unattended.
The request was turned down by the Election Commission.
PTI’s Usman Dar, in response, accused Sanaullah of disturbing the law and order in the constituency. “Rana Sanaullah was roaming around with groups of armed men,” he said, adding that a police complaint will be registered against him. He claimed Sanaullah “wants to do in Daska what was done in Model Town”.
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Chief Minister Buzdar, while taking notice of the firing incident, has sought a report from the inspector general of Police (IGP). The chief minister has ordered the arrest of the suspects at the earliest and said that action would be initiated against those found responsible without any discrimination.