Alleged electoral fraud: PTI comes up with ‘proof’ of 5.5m extra ballots

Imran says his party has official documents from three printing presses where ballots were printed

ISLAMABAD:

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Friday revealed what he called documentary proof of massive rigging in the 2013 general elections, alleging that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had printed millions of extra ballot papers to manipulate the polls in favour of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).

“The ECP had printed 5.5 million extra ballot papers, particularly in Punjab, and delivered them in certain constituencies hours before the polling day,” Imran said while speaking at a much-awaited news conference in Islamabad. The PTI has been gearing up for a ‘historic and decisive’ rally in the federal capital on November 30 where Imran has promised the nation ‘a surprise’.

These extra ballot papers were the reason PML-N’s total votes jumped from 6.8 million in 2008 to 14 million in 2013, Imran said, adding that he was at a loss to understand how PML-N’s vote-bank more than doubled despite the party’s poor performance and bad governance in Punjab.



In particular, Imran mentioned the constituency of Khawaja Saad Rafique, the railways minister in the federal cabinet, where, according to him, 124,000-plus extra ballot papers had been printed. To substantiate his claim, the PTI chief said his party has official documents from three out of the five printing presses where ballot papers were printed for the 2013 elections.

Imran claimed that the then provincial chief election commissioner for Punjab, Mehboob Anwar, had sought 200 technical experts for the purpose of printing extra ballots from the then provincial additional chief secretary, Rao Iftikhar, who were subsequently arranged by the respective DCOs.

The PTI chief demanded immediate seizure of the records of the ECP as well as of the five printing presses. He also called for immediate resignation of all provincial chief election commissioners who had conducted the 2013 elections.

Imran renewed his demand for the resignation of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif who, according to him, was the main beneficiary of the alleged electoral fraud. “Without punishing the corrupt and without conducting a ruthless inquiry into the rigging complaints, no election reform could ensure free and fair elections in the future,” he added. The PTI leader said that those involved in rigging the elections should be tried under Article VI of the Constitution which deals with high treason. “There is no difference between those who come to the assembly through a rigged election and those who come to power with the help of 111-Brigade,” he added.

Later speaking to his supporters from atop his custom-built container at D-Chowk, PTI chairman Imran Khan said that he would announce a new line of action on November 30, which will trigger a new political discourse. “Nobody should think that we are going to call off our dharna. The November 30 rally will further energise our movement,” he added.  Using the cricket jargon, the cricketer-turned-politician claimed that a major wicket of the PML-N would fall tomorrow (Saturday). He hoped that a huge crowd would turn out on the Constitution Avenue on November 30 to prove that the nation was united against corruption, rigging and status-quo.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 29^th, 2014.