Pakistan Muslim League (Q) staged a walkout from the National Assembly on Friday protesting against large-scale rigging by the federal and provincial governments in by-election of Swat and delaying poll results in Manshera. PML-Q leader Engineer Amir Muqam speaking on a point of order said that people of Swat had witnessed worst form of terrorism as present regime deprived them of their right to vote.

Minister for Manpower, Khurshid Shah brought the PML-Q parliamentarians back into the house after about half an hour. He demanded re-election in Swat and Mansehra under the supervision of Pakistan Army. He lambasted the government for pre-poll and post-poll rigging during bye-elections in Swat and delay in announcement of result in Mansehra.

The election staff of their choice was appointed at 78 polling stations out of total 80 while provincial ministers and other leaders of the ruling alliance had stamped the copies of ballot papers in their favour. When a presiding officer refused to give the copy, ballot papers were stamped at gunpoint, he said.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2010