Ali Zaidi says will resign if ECP allegations of polling stations' visit proved

KARACHI: Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Ali Haider Zaidi on Sunday announced to file a defamation suit against the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) staff that claimed that he visited polling stations during cantonment elections, ARY NEWS reported.

I have not violated any code of conduct and had only visited the polling station to cast my vote, he said adding that he left the polling station at 1:30 after casting his vote.

Challenge the ECP to show me one polling station that I visited today, EXCEPT THE ONE WHERE I CASTED MY VOTE & I will resign as Federal Minister & even as MNA.
Can the Dist East E.Comm Amin Qureshy show the same courage & issue a public apology if proven wrong? pic.twitter.com/slaQusQvTj

— Ali Haider Zaidi (@AliHZaidiPTI) September 12, 2021

The federal minister said that the ECP should now prove that he had visited the polling station during cantonment elections. “I will resign from my national assembly seat and as a federal minister if allegations leveled by the ECP are proved accurate,” Ali Zaidi said.

The ECP has previously issued directives to the local authorities to expel the federal minister from the constituency over reports of him visiting the polling stations.

However, the minister in a separate tweet said that he went to cast his vote when workers of a candidate acted as sore losers and tried unsuccessfully to create chaos.

When I went to caste my vote, workers of a candidate acted as sore losers & tried unsuccessfully to create chaos!
Request all @PTIofficial workers managing camps to stay calm & focus on the task at hand ie to win & serve our great city.
Don’t let these goons bother you! pic.twitter.com/wZ5JmwPHPh

— Ali Haider Zaidi (@AliHZaidiPTI) September 12, 2021