Alleged Poll Rigging: PTI Seeks Judicial Commission To Investigate Rawalpindi Commissioner's Accusations

Barrister Gohar says his party wants a judicial commission to investigate allegations of 'rigged election results' and share the findings with the public.

Alleged Poll Rigging: PTI Seeks Judicial Commission To Investigate Rawalpindi Commissioner's Accusations

Following Rawalpindi Commissioner Liaquat Ali Chatha's claims about alleged rigging in the February 8 general elections, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) central leader Barrister Gohar Ali Khan has called for the formation of a judicial commission to investigate the accusations. 

"Commissioner Chatha's statement affirmed the PTI's stance," Gohar stated during a press conference alongside Omar Ayub Khan in Islamabad on Sunday. "The commissioner raised his voice due to his sense of right and wrong," he added.

Chatha resigned from his position a day earlier in protest at the irregularities in voting on February 8 under his watch, admitting that "they converted the losers into winners with a 50,000-vote margin."

The commissioner stated that he was under pressure from social media and overseas Pakistanis and had attempted suicide. "13 National Assembly candidates who were losing were made to win by up to 70,000 votes," the outgoing commissioner claimed. 

Barrister Gohar stated that his party wants a judicial commission to investigate allegations of 'rigged election results' and share the findings with the public. 

"We do not seek the resignation of the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP). "There must be an investigation into the commissioner's allegations," he added. 

Barrister Gohar also criticized the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), saying that the poll-conducting body has yet to release the final vote results in accordance with the actual mandate.

He claimed that his party had won 180 seats in the National Assembly. "We won 42 seats in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), 115 in Punjab, 16 in Sindh, and four in Balochistan." The PTI was purposefully denied a single seat in Sindh. Form 45 was not distributed to solely Tehreek-e-Insaf polling agents." 

Gohar further urged that the election commission direct returning officers (ROs) to create Form 47 in line with Form 45 records. The previous ruling party also asked that election results be announced in line with Form 45. 

During the same press conference, PTI central general secretary Omar Ayub stated that the Imran-founded party was being surrounded by unlawful techniques, including police raids, bogus charges, and threats against party leaders and workers.

Regarding the party's alliance plan, Omar clarified that the PTI was not negotiating with the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) or the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP).