LODHRAN (Web Desk) –Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan will addressed a public gathering in Lodhran on Monday, making last ditch efforts for NA-154 by-polls.
PTI’s secretary general Jahangir Tareen will contend for the seat against PML-N Siddique Baloch on December 23.
The campaigning will end tonight by 12 am, a day before the polling. As many as twenty candidates are contesting the by-polls. Out of the total, number of independent candidates is twelve while eight are representing different political parties.
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has completed polling preparation ahead of the big day. Pakistan Army has been given the responsibility of carrying out fair and transparent polling.
PTI and PML-N candidates have expressed satisfaction over the deployment of Pak Army during the polling day.
An election tribunal in August had annulled the results of the 2013 General Election in NA-154, disqualifying PML-N’s Siddique Baloch for possessing fake academic credentials.
The tribunal’s detailed judgement said the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) on its direction had reported a failure to authenticate the thumb impressions of 179 voters in NA-154.
The PML-N lawmaker Siddique Baloch, who had contested the 2013 polls as an independent candidate before joining the party, was deseated following the tribunal verdict.
Baloch later approached the SC against the decision of the election tribunal terming him ‘ineligible’ to contest elections.
The SC in its final verdict on October 28 had ordered re-polling in NA-154 constituency (Lodhran) while suspending the tribunal verdict of declaring Pakistan Baloch ‘ineligible’ to contest elections.
