LAHORE: The Pakistan Tehreeki-Insaf has slammed the PML-N government for `blatant rigging tactics` for its candidate in NA-129 by-election as it began with deploying state force to tear down PTI candidate`s banners and posters, managing polling stations and then appointing subordinates of the PML-N aspirant, who has served as chairman of the Lesco Board of Directors.

The by-election is scheduled for Nov 23 (Sunday).

The PTI leaders say the sequence of coercion and patronage amounts to an orchestrated attempt to tilt the electoral playing field in favour of the ruling party`s candidate Muhammad Nauman.

The NA-129 seat, vacated after the death of Mian Muhammad Azhar, is being contested by his nephew Chaudhry Arslan who was nominated by Azhar`s son and former PTI Punjab acting president Hammad Azhar. The junior Azhar is absconding as he is wanted by the statein differentcases.

The PTI is contesting by-election only in Lahore, while boycotted [on Imran`s call] all by-polls in Sargodha, Mianwali, Sahiwal, Faisalabad, D.G Khan and Muzaffargarh where by-polls were scheduled after PTI MPAs were disqualified by the ECP.

Before the election campaign could pick-up, the local police officials, caught on video footage, were seen removing banners of PTI candidate Chaudhry Arslan contest-ingas anindependentcandidate on `Gyser` symbol. The PTI leaders alleged the government had posted Lesco officials as presiding officers in the by-election being contested by PML-N candidate Muhammad Nauman, who had served as Lesco BoD chairman.

Hammad Azhar sarcastically tweeted that `it is an interesting coincidence that the PML-N candidate is Lesco chairman and the presiding officers have also been picked from the same company.` He also posted four appointment orders of the polling staff showing that all four presiding officers were selected from Lesco.

Lesco Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Ramzan Butt has, however, rejected the Hammad Azhar`s message on social media, stating that the appointment of some Lesco officers as presiding officers is the decision of the ECP and not the Lesco or any other government organisation.

`We have not appointed our officers as POs for performing election duty but the ECP. In previous elections too, the Lesco officers also performed duties as POs,` the Lesco chief said while talking to Dawn on Thursday. `It is a routine matter,` he added.

According to another senior Lesco officer, who wished not to be quoted, the Lesco`s current chairman BoD is not the candidate (of PML-N), as he served as BoD head two years ago.

The post of BoD chairman is honorary and the person who served on this slot is not required two to three years after leaving the job to contest elections. `So it`s ridiculous tosay that Mr Nauman is the current chairman of the Lesco BoD, as he left the position two years before, the officer maintained.

Hammad Azhar has also alleged that the incumbent government was also taking different administrative measures `due to public fear in NA-129`.

In his tweet, Mr Azhar said some presiding officers were summoned to the Chief Minister`s House and issued threats. He alleged the government was also employing other tactics, to keep voters away, frustrated and afraid, like relocated 51 polling stations several kilometers away from populated areas; transferred votes from one areas to polling stations in other areas; removed PTI publicity material and arrested workers under police supervision; issued threats to local leaders over the phone and prohibiting Arslan Zaheer from running his election campaign; moving the returning officer`s office even farther from the constituency; and `presenting an administration tout as a fake PTI candidate.

It is learnt that the incumbent government is projecting a former PTI leader Bajash Khan Niazi as a PTI candidate, who was issued show-cause notice and eventually his basic party membership was cancelled on indiscipline charges.

The PTI had issued a `Public Alert` on its letterhead that Bajash Niazi had also run a campaign against the PTI candidate and contested the election. It added that this person was yet again contesting the election and supporting the PML-N candidate.