ISLAMABAD – The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has convened an emergency meeting tonight to discuss Rawalpindi Commissioner Liaquat Ali Chattha’s allegations about vote rigging in the general elections 2024, which were held across the country on February 8.
Announcing his resignation from his high-profile job, the Rawalpindi commissioner told reporters at a press conference on Saturday that he was directly involved in vote rigging and he forced his junior officers to do the same. He said the ECP and the chief justice of Pakistan too were involved in the alleged vote rigging, which has left the country virtually paralyzed.
Against this backdrop, Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja has convened the ECP meeting at 10:00pm tonight (Saturday night). All members of the ECP will attend the meeting virtually.
According to sources, the ECP is likely to order an inquiry into the vote rigging allegations levelled by the Rawalpindi commissioner.
Chattha said at a press conference at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium that 13 candidates from Rawalpindi were forcibly declared winners, adding that “we gave the losing candidates leads of 50,000 votes”.
“I have done injustice to the Rawalpindi Division,” he said. “I tried to commit suicide today after Fajr prayer. But then I thought, why should I die a forbidden death? Why not put everything in front of the people?” he said.
“I accept the responsibility of election rigging in Rawalpindi Division and surrender myself to the police,” he said.
Soon after Chattha’s press conference, the ECP released a statement, denying the allegations against the chief election commissioner. “No official from the ECP issued any instructions to the commissioner Rawalpindi to manipulate election results,” it said in a statement.
“It is important to note that the commissioner of any division is not the DRO, RO, or presiding officer and does not have a direct role in conducting the election,” it stated.
