News Desk |
The Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf (PTI) has demanded the immediate removal of Governor Punjab, Malik Muhammad Rafique Rajwana from the office by saying, “His strong affiliations with Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz and the Sharif family may undermine the independence of the transparent elections.”
The governor’s son is contesting election 2018 from PP-214 and his links with the party are causing instability in the election scenario, adds the letter.
He was talking to the media on the Lahore High Court premises after attending proceedings of an appeal, filed by PTI Chief Imran Khan in the LHC appellate tribunal. Khan challenged the rejection of his nomination papers by the Returning Officer in NA-53.
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In his letter to the Election Commission of Pakistan PTI leader and advocate Dr.Babar Awan has said, “it is legally binding on the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) under the constitution to conduct free and fair elections; the Governor of Punjab has strong affiliations with PMLN and the Sharif Family, which is contributing to pre-election rigging, hence, it is requested that a notice of such an urgent matter be considered immediately”.
Awan claimed that the media cell of Maryam Nawaz, daughter of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, is being operated from the governor house and this raises question marks over the process of a fair election. He demanded the immediate removal of the governor Punjab.
A few days earlier PTI Chairman Imran Khan, in a letter to the caretaker Prime Minister had demanded the removal of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Governor Iqbal Zafar Jhagra, saying that the process of “free and fair elections will be compromised” if he continued to hold the office.
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Earlier, the PTI through his Spokesperson Fawad Chaudhry had moved the ECP to extend the time duration of casting votes for the upcoming general election. Fawad Chaudhry in his letter to ECP has said that the intense heat waves have gripped the country and extending the polling time will help the voters especially ailing and aged, therefore, the duration be extended till 8:00 pm instead of 5:00 pm. The change in polling time has been approved today.
PTI is making all possible efforts to ensure the upcoming elections remain transparent and independent of any direct or indirect pressure from any political party.