The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) have voiced opposition to the Election Commission of Pakistan’s announcement to hold phase-wise elections for local bodies in the province.
Addressing party delegations, Punjab Organiser Chaudhry Mohammad Sarwar rejected the decision of holding local bodies’ election in phases in Punjab and demanded that the election should be held using bio-metric system under the direct supervision of rangers.
He said the phase-wise local bodies election in Punjab was the beginning of the rigging. He said the phase-wise elections should not be held in some districts of different divisions but in complete three divisions simultaneously.
He said the PTI would not let the rulers usurp all powers, which must be devolved to the local level. Chaudhry Sarwar said the local bodies elections could not be held in a transparent manner under the supervision of Punjab bureaucracy. He stressed that Rangers should be appointed in and outside the polling stations for the holding of transparent elections.
Meanwhile, in a statement, PPP Punjab President Manzoor Ahmed Wattoo demanded the ECP to hold local bodies’ election on the same day on October 12.
He said that the holding of phased elections in the Punjab would generate undesirable controversy that would not augur well for the smooth functioning to local bodies system in the province.