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LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz has demanded re-election in NA-75 Sialkot-IV, following what she termed irrefutable evidence.
“There was firing, polling was slowed, people were killed and bags of votes were stolen. Where was the Punjab government,” she said while addressing a press conference in Lahore today (Saturday).
She thanked the party workers and the people of Daska and Nowshera who ‘guarded their votes’ and ‘caught the thieves’. Maryam also extended condolences to the families of the two people who died during violence.
Maryam further said a ‘plan’ was made in Wazirabad and Daska because it was clear that PML-N was in the lead there. “They resorted to firing in broad daylight in Daska and Wazirabad. There is a video in which you can see the PTI candidate, his relatives firing,” she claimed.
A video was then played showing the said candidate with a red circle marked around him for identification. “A video never lies,” she said, adding, “When there is evidence, it is shown. Allegations are not levelled just like that.”
She also asked what was being done inside polling stations with the doors shut in Wazirabad. She said it prompted queues to form outside of PML-N voters who waited for hours to be allowed inside.
She said desperate voters, when time was about to draw to a close, started banging on the doors and forced their way inside. “When they were unable to keep them out, they resorted to run away with bags of votes,” Maryam added.
The PML-N leader also claimed that the government then proceeded to disappear around 20 staff of the Election Commission, referring to events in the NA-75 Sialkot-IV. “We don’t know where they were kept for 14 hours and what they had them do,” she added.
Maryam on ECP’s statement
The PML-N leader also said that the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) statement regarding the NA-75 by-election was a ‘charge sheet’ against the government. “Even the ECP is saying their officers were held hostage and has declared it suspects results were swapped,” she added.
