RAWALPINDI: Former interior minister and Awami Muslim League (AML) chief Sheikh Rasheed has urged the Establishment to ‘stay away’ from the Punjab by-elections, scheduled to be held tomorrow (July 17), ARY News reported on Saturday.
In a video message posted on Twitter, Sheikh Rasheed urged the Establishment to ‘stay away’ from the Punjab by-elections and proved their ‘impartiality’.
“Tomorrow is a very important day. I have never seen such an election in the country’s history. I want to request the Establishment to stay away from the elections. The nation will not tolerate any rigging or bullying,” he said in the video message.
The AML chief further said that the establishment would have to prove its impartiality in tomorrow’s by-elections on 20 Punjab seats.
He also criticised the government for constituting a special committee to deliberate on whether it should initiate legal proceedings against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leadership under Article 6 of the Constitution.
— Sheikh Rashid Ahmed (@ShkhRasheed) July 16, 2022
“This is an additional note by the Supreme Court. Not a judgment. These people, who have been imposed on the nation through one or two extra votes, are foolish,” he added.
The former interior minister also warned the government against creating ‘any obstacle’ in Imran Khan’s path if the nation voted for his party in tomorrow’s polls.
“If its path is blocked, this country will witness an inferno which will engulf everyone,” he added, terming Sunday a “test day for Pakistan’s political stability”.
The by-elections on the 20 Punjab Assembly seats, vacated after the PTI MPAs voted for Hamza Shehbaz in the CM elections, will be conducted on July 17, 2022 (tomorrow).
The results of the by-polls would be essential for the CM vote count, ordered by the Supreme Court of Pakistan, in the Punjab Assembly in July 2022.
PML-N needs to win a total of 9 seats in the by-elections to gain a majority to elect their Chief Minister in the biggest province of the country.
 chief Sheikh Rasheed has urged the Establishment to 'stay away' from the Punjab by-elections.){kind=link}