PTI’s Raoof has no doubt about independents loyalty

With the PTI-backed independent candidates springing up surprise victories in the general elections held a day earlier, its central information secretary Raoof Hasan on Friday expressed his confidence that they would not switch their loyalties and the party would be in position to form its governments in three regions of the country -- the Centre, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, and Punjab.

Addressing a hurriedly called news conference in Islamabad, Hasan maintained that retaliation was not part of his party’s manifesto, but pledged to take legal action against alleged polls rigging, particularly in the results including the possibility of knocking on the doors of election tribunals.

“We will receive the rights granted to us by the Constitution and law in the post-election phase,” he added.

The PTI leader pointed out that his party-backed independent candidates were in the lead in the National Assembly and provincial legislature seats until late in the day, but the transmission of results were was halted after midnight, adding that they were changed after that.

He claimed that those in a winning position had lost and those who were losing had emerged victorious.
“If this is not tampering with the results, then what is?”

The PTI leader accused the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) of tampering with the results.

He demanded that the alleged tampering of the results on February 8 and 9 should be investigated.

In addition, the PTI leader said it was the party’s old demand that an impartial inquiry should be conducted into last year’s May 9 violence.

Hasan said highlighted the PTI’s sweeping lead in K-P and its continuous victories in Punjab.

The PTI leader said it was the culture in the country to buy the loyalties of the winning independent candidates.

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He added that PPP Co-Chairperson Asif Ali Zardari was an “expert” in this department but the PTI-backed victorious candidates would remain loyal to their party.

Hasan extended his gratitude to the people of Pakistan for their unwavering support during the recently concluded elections. He took the opportunity to express appreciation for the overwhelming backing received by the party from constituents across the country.

He maintained that political space for the PTI was shrinking in the country since the ouster of its government.

Hasan commended the resilience of the PTI activists, who continued to stick to the party despite facing various forms of oppression. He also lauded the bold participation of PTI supporters in the polling process.