LAHORE: PML-N Punjab President Rana Sanaullah has announced the PML-N agents won’t leave polling stations without getting Form-45, the document containing the final vote count, nor will they tolerate any interruption during the polling process during the by-elections.

Addressing a press conference here on Thursday, he said the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) must ensure compliance with law, rules and regulations for holding transparent by-polls.

“Any deviation would neither be tolerated nor accepted,” he warned the ECP, a day before the by-elections at Daska and Wazirabad, to be held on Friday (today).

“The party has instructed all its workers not to carry arms to polling stations. If any untoward situation emerged during the polling, the administration will have to face inquiries and investigation. All officers concerned should follow law. Deviations, if any, won’t go unnoticed,” he said.

The PML-N, once in power, would rid the country of this “bunch of self-proclaimed Mr Cleans,” he said, alleging the “bunch” was making massive money, while shouting from the rooftop about its “cleanliness”.

Talking about Senate elections, Rana dared the government to arrest those named and seen in the video it had released itself. “Why the government does not arrest them? If the attorney general knows where people are bribing potential Senators, why is the government not moving against them? The PTI released the video only to derail the Supreme Court, which is lamentable,” he said.

About rejection of the PML-N senior leader Pervaiz Rasheed’s nomination papers over the outstanding dues of the Punjab House, he said the former information minister wanted to pay the amount, but the officers concerned were not ready to receive it.

The issue, however, would be resolved soon, he added. He said the bribe issue had cropped up in Balochistan, not in Punjab, demanding the government must move to solve it.

Published in Dawn, February 19th, 2021