Candidates of the Muslim League-Nawaz and the Tehreek-i-Insaaf are to appear before returning officers today to respond to tit-for-tat allegations of rigging made by the two parties against each other.
On Monday, Returning Officer Javedul Hassan Chishti issued notice to the PTI’s Shafqat Mehmood (the winner at NA-126), Mehmoodur Rasheed (PP-150) and Murad Ras (PP-151) for May 14, on the complaint of the losing PML-N candidates Khawaja Ahmed Hassaan (NA-126), Khawaja Salman Rafique (PP-150) and Syed Tauseef Shah (PP-151).
Returning Officer Khalid Mehmood Bhatti issued notice to the PML-N’s Khawaja Saad Rafique (winner at NA-125), Mian Naseer (PP-155) and Yasin Sohail (PP-156) for May 14, on the complaint of losing PTI candidates Hamid Khan (NA-126), Hafiz Farhat Abbas (PP-155) and Ahsan Rasheed (PP-156).
In both complaints, the losing candidates accused the winners of rigging and demanded a recount of the votes. Supporters of both parties also held protests against the alleged rigging incidents in parts of Lahore on Monday, though the PTI protests were much larger.
NA-125 complaint
Hamid Khan of PTI alleged that at NA-125, the PML-N candidates and their agents, “in a systematic, deliberate and pre-planned scheme ... with the active connivance and support of presiding officers and the police”, cast bogus votes and tampered with ballot boxes and ballot papers.
PTI polling agents were threatened, removed from polling stations and restrained from attending the counting of votes by presiding officers, said the complainant. The PML-N candidates had violated numerous provisions of the Representation of the People Act of 1976, he said.
Hamid Khan sought a recount of the votes and verification of the counts furnished by the presiding officer.
Talking to The Express Tribune, Saad Rafique said that the PTI should accept its defeat in the constituency rather than make accusations aimed at casting doubt on the PML-N mandate. He said that if the PTI chief could be defeated in Lahore, it was no surprise that he should defeat Hamid Khan.
NA-126
Meanwhile the losing PML-N candidates at NA-126 alleged in their complaint that they had reported instances of rigging at specific polling stations to the presiding officers, but they had been ignored.
At the Model Town Government Girls High School in E Block, the presiding officer’s husband had been inside the polling station and had rigged the voting in favour of the PTI candidate, the complainants alleged.
They said that Khawaja Usman, brother of Salman Rafique (and Saad Rafique), had caught a former union council nazim named Haji Fayyaz Ahmad holding fake ballot papers. They said that Fayyaz Ahmad had been handed over to the police, but no action had been taken against him.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 14th, 2013.
Correction: An earlier version of the article incorrectly stated that Khawaja Saad Rafique won from NA-126 instead of NA-125. The error has been rectified.
COMMENTS (9)
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It is not about Majority. It is about principles. Even if it means one seat or one fake vote. Wrong is wrong no matter how small it is!! And two wrong does not make it right!!
With the news that Mian Sahib is in touch with Mulana Fazul rehman, it means Mian Sahib has not learned any lesson from his past experience. Mian Sahib pls be careful from such opportunists he may ditch you any time.
PMLN and MQM alleging others of rigging is like pot calling the kettle black............
There's something known as free and fair elections. In the constituencies mentioned rigging clearly took place. Even if the re-count will not have any impact on PML N's majority it is every Pakistani's right to vote and it is the ECP's job to make sure that free and fair elections have taken place. In Karachi, people weren't even given the opportunity to vote! Is this Democracy?
Correction: Saad Rafique is from NA 125 and not NA 126. Please correct the information.
Why to let "grace" interfere in Pakistan's politics, when it is the 'most unwanted' element in that business.
@MZ: You are right. Even after recounting , PTI won't be able to win majority in NA and hence even after recounting PMLN won't lose its majority in NA so why not got for recounting then? I still can't imagine Hamid Khan losing from Saad Rafique in 125..
because there is absolutely no way pti could have lost from na-125! i was there, i saw the voter turn out during the entire day and everyone was voting for pti or wearing its colors!
PTI is a party of sore losers. Their supporters should get a life and accept the defeat with grace. Even after counting the votes again, they are not going to get majority in National Assembly. Their party should focus on forming government instead of accusations.