ISLAMABAD: PML(N) and PPP leaders are blaming each other for buying votes in the NA-133 constituency where by-election is being held on Dec 5.
The political rift between these two parties in Lahore’s NA-133, has gone viral on social media, where a viral video appears to show voters being bribed by party members.
Both parties have blamed each other’s workers for the alleged move. PML-N’s Muhammad Arif registered a complaint with the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) stating that the PPP is “buying off votes in the constituency”.
Meanwhile, the Election Commission of Pakistan has ordered the arrest of people who are giving money to different persons as shown in the viral videos.
Aslo, Arif alleged that the PPP is taking oath from the “bought” voters and distributing Rs2,000 per person.
PML-N’s Ali Pervaiz Malik, son of late Pervaiz Malik, also appeared on video to speak about the matter. He said he condemns the move and hopes that PPP will take notice of such ongoing and put a stop to them immediately.
“This fake video, in which all the characters are masked, this attempt to launch a campaign (against PML-N), has been rejected by the people of Lahore,” he said.
He said in the 2018 election, Malik Pervaiz won with 90,000 votes and the “tactics” being employed by PPP come from a party who “did not even secure a tenth of the votes of PML-N’.
PPP’s version
Meanwhile, PPP Punjab’s secretary of information, Shahzad Cheema, noted that such videos are doing the rounds on social media, saying that “the clips are being made to go viral by both parties”.
He claimed his party had not issued directives to anyone to give any entity any money.
“If this has occurred at any level, the PPP strongly condemns the act,” he said.
Cheema said that the videos are a “ploy” to ruin the election.
PPP central punjab’s general secretary, Syed Hasan Murtaza, issued a video statement accusing PML-N of according respect to the “note” (currency) instead of the “vote”.
“PML-N cannot help but engage in Chhanga Manga politics,” he was quoted as saying by PPP Punjab.
ccording to the statement, Murtaza said that PPP is competing against PML-N “on the basis of ideology rather than money”, and that the party “does not believe in the buying and selling of votes”.
“It is only the PPP that respects the voter and the vote,” Murtaza was further quoted as saying.
