The political battleground in Punjab is heating up as the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) cries foul over what it describes as targeted harassment and intimidation tactics employed by law enforcement agencies.
In a series of alarming incidents, the Punjab police allegedly continued their raiding spree on Monday, targeting PTI election offices and residences of party leaders and supporters.
The PTI claimed that the election office of Aaliya Hamza, their nominee for NA-118, along with Saba Dewan, vying for PP-148, was forcefully sealed by police and masked individuals. Furthermore, allegations of harassment against women workers within the party’s NA-118 election office surfaced, with warnings issued regarding their security if they campaigned against PML-N leader Hamza Shehbaz.
Adding fuel to the fire, a PTI-affiliated lawyer, Khalid Ranjha, and his elderly father were allegedly abducted from their residence in Sargodha, purportedly for their association with PTI candidate Usama Mela in NA-83. The raiding officials reportedly vandalized their property, leaving a trail of destruction.
In Gujrat, the PTI nominees for NA-64 and PP-34, Chaudhary Qaisara Elahi and Sameera Elahi, respectively, accused the police of a disruptive raid on the Zahoor Elahi House. They claimed that valuable items were confiscated, and their servants detained, in what they described as an attempt to thwart their electoral campaign.
Meanwhile, in Multan, veteran politician Javed Hashmi alleged that police raided his residence and apprehended his son-in-law, grandson, and a servant. Hashmi’s son-in-law, Shahid Bahar Hashmi, is a PTI-backed candidate in the upcoming elections.
These incidents have sparked outrage and condemnation, with the PTI accusing law enforcement agencies of bias and coercion. With elections looming on Feb 8, tensions are running high as political rivals engage in a battle for supremacy amidst allegations of electoral malpractice and intimidation tactics. Will the Election Commission of Pakistan intervene to ensure a free and fair electoral process? Only time will tell as the nation braces for a critical showdown at the polls.
