Judicial Commission should question ROs over rigging: Imran Khan

ISLAMABAD (Staff Report) – Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Monday said his counsel will urge the judicial commission, investigating the allegations of rigging in general polls 2013, to summon the Returning Officers to record their statements.

PTI chief, while addressing a press conference, demanded the judicial commission question the election officers in order to expose the person behind the rigging. The Returning Officers were ordered to manipulate the election results, he added.

It is not the duty of the election tribunal to decide about those responsible for rigging, Khan said, adding it is the judicial commission that will identify those who actually rigged the polls.

The cricketer-turned politician once again extended his hope about general elections this year after the 2013 polls are declared as rigged by the three-member judicial commission.

Khan went on to say that NADRA has been pushed for submission of the forensic report of the ballot papers in NA-122 where he has challenged the electoral results. Soon the tribunals will decide about the remaining three constituencies as well and my claim will stand affirmed, he added.

He said that democracy cannot be strengthened in the country until transparency is ensured in the electoral process.

Khan, prior to his media interaction, said he was very happy with the tribunal’s decision for conduct of re-election in NA-125 and PP-155.

He also appreciated the voters of the constituency who came onto the roads to protest the rigging in general elections 2013 without any instructions from his party.

Previously, an Election Tribunal ordered the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to conduct a re-election in NA-125 after reaching a decision on rigging in last general elections from the constituency.

The verdict was reserved by the tribunal on April 30 when the lawyers had formally completed the arguments in the case.

Federal Minister for Railways Khawaja Saad Rafique was declared winner from this constituency during 2013 general elections, while PTI’s candidate Hamid Khan had challenged the election result.

The tribunal has also ordered to hold re-election in PP-155, which falls under the same constituency.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has decided to challenge the decision of the election tribunal which ordered re-election in NA-125 and PP-155 in the Supreme Court of Pakistan, said media reports.

National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) was ordered to verify the votes in seven polling stations out of the total 265 polling stations previously.

In 2013’s general elections PMLN candidate Khawaja Saad Rafiq had bagged 123094 votes who was followed by the PTI candidate PTI Hamid Khan with 83190 votes.

PMLN’s Mian Naseer Ahmad was elected from PP-155 where PTI’s Hafiz Farhat had challenged the result.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), which had blamed the winning party for manipulating the poll results immediately after the elections, has been time and again asking the government to verify the ballots in the four constituencies including NA-125.

PTI Chairman Imran Khan had led a long march to Islamabad in August 2014 to demand an inquiry into the allegations of rigging which was followed by a 126 days long sit-in of his followers.

Earlier in April this year the ruling party, PMLN, and PTI agreed to constitute a judicial commission to investigate the allegations of rigging which started functioning in the mid of last month.