Pakistan a ‘global joke after mother of all rigging’: Imran

In a scathing criticism of the Feb 8 general elections, PTI's founder Imran Khan has denounced the poll irregularities as the "mother of all rigging," asserting that it has turned Pakistan into a global laughing stock, according to statements made by his sister, Aleema Khan.

Speaking to the media outside Adiala Jail, Aleema relayed Imran's statement, sharing that the PTI founder referred to the "mother of all U-turns" as giving respect to the "boot" instead of the vote.

Quoting Imran, she said that the “mother of all selections” involved dropping criminal cases against certain individuals and shifting the blame onto the PTI founder, resulting in a 32-year sentence.

Aleema asserted that pre-poll and election-day rigging aimed to undermine the people's right to choose their representatives and voters' freedom to make informed decisions.

Aleema Khan said that her brother wants the culture of impunity to end and the mandate of the people must be respected to salvage the country’s reputation internationally.

Imran also ridiculed his arch nemesis, the PML-N, which willingly bartered away its narrative to grab power. “Instead of honouring the vote, the ‘selected ones’ have honoured the boot,” Aleema quoted Imran.

“The selection was so blatant and blind that corruption cases were dropped by the selectors against the ‘selected ones’,” she further stated quoting her brother.“Instead the PTI chairman was sentenced to 32 years in jail after marathon trials on trumped up charges.”

Imran said that pre-poll, election day, and post-election rigging denied the people of Pakistan their democratic right to choose their representatives.

“On the voting day, the internet was shut down, leaving people perplexed. But when it did not work, post-poll rigging was carried out at night by brazenly changing the results by ignoring Form 45,” he added.

The incarcerated PTI chairman also referred to the Rawalpindi commissioner who in a recent damning video confession admitted to rigging the election for the PML-N.

“Not just one commissioner, there are many more who have ample evidence of rigging, but they have been silenced,” he said while fearing that the commissioner would be subjected to physical torture.