PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Sunday urged the people of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa to defeat the ruling PTI using their votes in the Local Government elections under way in the province, amid reports of rigging and violence in various polling stations.

“The PTI has sunk to new depths in its attempts to rig local body elections. In DI Khan ANP candidate was assassinated a day before polling, members of his family accused PTI minister of first trying to bribe him then killing him,” Bilawal said in a series of tweets.

ANP’s local leader Umer Khattab Sherani was killed late Friday when unidentified men opened fire at him outside his house in Dera Ismail Khan. Protests had erupted following news of his murder promoting the district administration to postpone the poll.

According to media reports, violence, indiscipline and rigging incidents were reported in many polling stations across the province, adding to the already sensitivity of the polling stations. At many polling stations, voting was temporarily halted or police had to call up a contingent of law enforcers to ensure law and order.

As per the Election Commission of Pakistan’s Wednesday announcement 2,507 polling stations – out of the 9,202 – are considered most sensitive. Around 4,168 polling stations are termed as sensitive by the ECP.

Bilawal claimed the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf workers were caught “red-handed stamping ballot” papers the night before polling in Peshawar. “All day there have been reports of PTI ransacking polling stations attacking polling staff including women.”

Continuing his tirade against M Imran Khan-led party, the PPP chairman said that “a desperately unpopular government” opts for such tactics. He alleged that PTI was resorting to violence and rigging to try and undermine the people’s choices.

He called on the ECP to take action against reports of rigging and ensure free and fair elections.

“We appeal to the people of Pakhtunkhwa to not be deterred by PTI tactics, come out in large numbers and defeat PTI with your votes. All PPP workers are requested to report violations to party election cell or directly to ECP,” he said.