The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Lahore has formally rejected the Punjab government's proposed electoral delimitations ahead of the upcoming local government elections, accusing the ruling party of attempting to influence the electoral process through politically motivated constituency boundaries.
PPP Alleges Politically Motivated Delimitations
Speaking at a press conference, PPP Lahore General Secretary Dr. Ayesha Shaukat stated that the delimitations were against the principles of fair representation and the public's right to vote. She alleged that the ruling Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) was avoiding public accountability by carrying out 'preferred' delimitations before the polls. Dr. Shaukat emphasized that local government elections are a cornerstone of democracy and warned that holding them without transparency would undermine public confidence in the electoral process. She added that the party would resist any attempt to suppress the public mandate.
PPP Leaders Demand Immediate Elections
PPP leader Ahmed Ghuman challenged the ruling party to hold local government elections without delay, saying that if the PML-N was confident in its public support, it should face voters instead of resorting to what he described as manipulated delimitations. He maintained that the PPP was fully prepared to contest the elections and called for free, fair, and transparent polls.
Allegations of Manipulation in Patwar Circles and Census Blocks
Meanwhile, PPP Lahore Zone-161 General Secretary Shah Waiz Nadeem alleged that the Punjab government had made politically motivated changes by altering patwar circles and creating census blocks on political grounds, which he claimed had compromised the transparency of the delimitation process. He demanded the immediate withdrawal of the current delimitations, warning that the PPP would pursue all available legal, constitutional, and democratic avenues to safeguard the public's right to vote if the government failed to address the party's concerns.
