'The country's democracy is in question'
PML-N leader Mushahidullah Khan calls for fresh polls, rejects results
PML-N leader Mushahidullah Khan. PHOTO: EXPRESS
KARACHI:
Rejecting the results of the general elections, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Mushahidullah Khan has said the elections were rigged and should be conducted anew.
He stated this while speaking to the media at the Karachi Press Club on Friday.
PML-N leader Khawaja Tariq Nazeer, Das Kohistani, Afnanullah, Ali Akbar Gajro and others were also present on the occasion.
Khan said the polling results were biased and a foul method was adopted to select their favourite party. "A curfew was imposed on polling stations as during the polling and at the time of counting, polling agents were sent out and forged votes were cast," he claimed adding that instead of Form 45, the results were handed over to polling agents on plain chits.
He said that the security personnel demonstrated a biased attitude to have their favorite party win. "We reject these results. Free and fair elections should be held anew. He [Imran Khan] is only a civil martial law administrator," he said.
Comparing the turnout at Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's rallies before the elections to PML-N's turnout, Khan said Imran's rallies had attendance of around 2,000 people while PML-N attracted over 50,000 people to its rallies.
Will possess Karachi, swears every party
The PML-N leader alleged that instead of performing security duties, law enforcers overtook the polling system. "Imran was given a free hand and when he wasn't able to succeed, the institutions themselves forged the results," he said.
He said that the party did not want to dislodge the system, but run democracy as per democratic norms. "This is not the 1970s. People openly saw what happened with the results. Our polling agents were locked in a room and empty ballot boxes weren't shown to our polling agents," he lamented.
Khan said that national survival is at stake when rigging is involved. "We will not allow anyone to play with the country's future," he said.
Criticising Imran, he said called him a puppet, whose strings were in someone else's hands.
The results were delayed by 24 hours from wherever PTI had to win, such as in Karachi, while the results were announced within two hours at other polling stations, he alleged.
As many as 91,000 votes to Imran in Karachi, he said, meant the height of rigging.
Religious parties and PML-N were targeted, he claimed, adding that a peaceful polling process was portrayed to the world but in reality, martial law was imposed on polling stations.
There was no problem with the Result Transmission System. Results were rather withheld deliberately, he said, adding that Sheikh Rasheed and Imran are continually thanking 'some' forces.
Responding to a question, Khan said the PML-N will accept the reults only after a scrutiny of 272 constituencies. He said 14 seats from Karachi were 'handed over' to the PTI where PML-N ended terrorism. The PTI has zero contribution in Karachi, he said.
"No one will accept these elections. We reject these election results and demand fresh elections. The country's democracy and Parliament are in question," Khan concluded.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 28th, 2018.
Rejecting the results of the general elections, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Mushahidullah Khan has said the elections were rigged and should be conducted anew.
He stated this while speaking to the media at the Karachi Press Club on Friday.
PML-N leader Khawaja Tariq Nazeer, Das Kohistani, Afnanullah, Ali Akbar Gajro and others were also present on the occasion.
Khan said the polling results were biased and a foul method was adopted to select their favourite party. "A curfew was imposed on polling stations as during the polling and at the time of counting, polling agents were sent out and forged votes were cast," he claimed adding that instead of Form 45, the results were handed over to polling agents on plain chits.
He said that the security personnel demonstrated a biased attitude to have their favorite party win. "We reject these results. Free and fair elections should be held anew. He [Imran Khan] is only a civil martial law administrator," he said.
Comparing the turnout at Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's rallies before the elections to PML-N's turnout, Khan said Imran's rallies had attendance of around 2,000 people while PML-N attracted over 50,000 people to its rallies.
Will possess Karachi, swears every party
The PML-N leader alleged that instead of performing security duties, law enforcers overtook the polling system. "Imran was given a free hand and when he wasn't able to succeed, the institutions themselves forged the results," he said.
He said that the party did not want to dislodge the system, but run democracy as per democratic norms. "This is not the 1970s. People openly saw what happened with the results. Our polling agents were locked in a room and empty ballot boxes weren't shown to our polling agents," he lamented.
Khan said that national survival is at stake when rigging is involved. "We will not allow anyone to play with the country's future," he said.
Criticising Imran, he said called him a puppet, whose strings were in someone else's hands.
The results were delayed by 24 hours from wherever PTI had to win, such as in Karachi, while the results were announced within two hours at other polling stations, he alleged.
As many as 91,000 votes to Imran in Karachi, he said, meant the height of rigging.
Religious parties and PML-N were targeted, he claimed, adding that a peaceful polling process was portrayed to the world but in reality, martial law was imposed on polling stations.
There was no problem with the Result Transmission System. Results were rather withheld deliberately, he said, adding that Sheikh Rasheed and Imran are continually thanking 'some' forces.
Responding to a question, Khan said the PML-N will accept the reults only after a scrutiny of 272 constituencies. He said 14 seats from Karachi were 'handed over' to the PTI where PML-N ended terrorism. The PTI has zero contribution in Karachi, he said.
"No one will accept these elections. We reject these election results and demand fresh elections. The country's democracy and Parliament are in question," Khan concluded.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 28th, 2018.