Rigging allegations: Imran gives three-day deadline to ECP

Demands recounting in 6 constituencies; pledges to work with Nawaz.

LAHORE:

Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chief Imran Khan has given the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) three days to accept his party’s demand for recounting of votes in six constituencies. If they do not do so, Imran warned that the party would summon an emergency meeting to plan its strategy of holding protests against the commission.

In a recorded video message unveiled by senior party members at a press conference here on Wednesday, Imran called for the recounting of votes in four constituencies of the National Assembly, while senior party leaders added two more on his recommendation. These constituencies include NA-57 Attock, NA-110 Sialkot, NA-122, NA-125, NA-154 Lodhran and NA-239.

“Recounting in these constituencies should be done by matching finger-prints of voters on ballot papers to their fingerprints on their ID cards available with NADRA,” the PTI chief suggested, adding that it was not a lengthy exercise and would not take more than two days.



“The whole nation wants to move ahead now after the elections and the PTI also wants to move ahead as well, but there are serious apprehensions about elections. People are protesting about the rigging and they are not out on the call of PTI,” he said. He did however add that if the ECP did not accept their demands then the party would also get involved with the protests.

The PTI chief pointed out that the turnout this time had been historic and people who once looked down upon the democratic process in Pakistan came out to cast their vote.

“If we don’t remove their apprehensions, their trust on the democratic process will be shattered. ECP should remove their apprehensions regarding rigging … this will benefit the democracy in Pakistan not the PTI,” he added.



He added that supporters and leaders of the party in Karachi, including Dr Arif Alvi, who is contesting the polls from the NA-250, had received death threats for protesting against rigging.

The rival captains meet

After a pitched battle, the ‘friendly match’ looks set to commence. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan has said that despite “serious political differences” he will cooperate with incoming prime minister Nawaz Sharif to take the country on the road towards progress. The PTI chief said the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz chief had called on him and they agreed to jointly tackle issues the country is faced with, the biggest being terrorism.

“I have also spoken to [army chief] General [Ashfaq] Kayani about it. We will resolve the issue together; otherwise prosperity cannot be brought to the country.

We have serious political differences [with Nawaz Sharif] but will sit together to resolve major problems,” said Imran in the video link from his hospital bed, where he is laid up with a fractured spine after falling off a forklift at a campaign rally.

The PML-N and PTI were engaged in a heated battle in the run up to the elections, leveling allegations and criticisms against each other during campaigning. The PTI emerged as the largest party in K-P and the third largest in the Centre, behind the PML-N and PPP.

“We have a chance to form a government in K-P after a long time. We will form a model government and implement our plan of improving things there, and will show people how this plan can be implemented all over the country,” Imran said.

Following his visit to the hospital on Tuesday, Nawaz said his party would respect the PTI’s mandate, dismissing rumours that the PML-N planned to form a coalition government in K-P.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 16^th, 2013.