PPP Leaders Allege Rigging in PP-52 By-Election, Demand Re-Poll
PPP Leaders Allege Rigging in PP-52 By-Election, Demand Re-Poll
LAHORE: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leaders have accused the administration and underworld elements of large-scale rigging in the PP-52 by-election held on June 1, declaring the polls neither transparent nor fair. They argued that instead of holding such fraudulent elections, the Election Commission should have directly issued an allotment letter to the winning party.
These allegations were made during a joint press conference at the Peoples Secretariat in Model Town, where PPP leaders, including Secretary Information Shahzad Saeed Cheema, Neelam Jabbar, Raheel Kamran Cheema, Asif Bashir Bhagat, Ayesha Nawaz Chaudhry, Fayyaz Bhatti, Asif Baloch, Azim Hafeez, Hassan Ashraf, and Tahir Ghalib were present on the occasion.
PPP Central Secretary Information Nadeem Afzal Chan claimed that people do not vote for those who compromise with the PML-N. "We admit that people did not vote for us because of our alliance with PML-N," he said. "We had warned against joining hands with the government, but confusion at the local level cost us votes. This election was a fraud—let whoever is upset remain upset."
Chan demanded that the media and Election Commission must operate free from elite influence. He stated that by-elections are a measure of the government’s performance, adding, "In Punjab, where PML-N has ruled for so long, there should have been no contest. Those on the right-wing are now realizing that PPP’s grievances were justified."
He accused the administration of employing oppressive tactics, including using thugs and police to disrupt polling in areas like Malkanwala and Metranwala. "Polling boxes were stolen, and our workers were barred from voting. Our job is to expose these wrongdoings—we answer to voters, not vote-counters," Chan asserted.
PPP leaders also criticized the government’s economic policies, claiming that farmers suffered as three major crops—maize, wheat, and rice—remained unsold. They condemned the privatization of hospitals and schools, warning that poor children would be deprived of education.
PPP Central Punjab General Secretary Syed Hassan Murtaza praised party workers for their efforts, noting that the by-election saw a higher turnout than the general elections. However, he lamented that despite the government’s failures—such as outsourcing hospitals, privatizing schools, and selling national assets like PIA and PASCO—their vote bank remained intact.
PPP ticket holder Raheel Kamran Cheema demanded a judicial inquiry into the rigging, naming Khawaja Asif as the "mastermind" and calling for a re-election in PP-52.
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