PTI chairman Imran Khan. PHOTO: AFP/FILE
Claiming that the reasons behind the protest would be to protect democracy, he said, "We want justice from supreme judiciary. It should order recounting in four constituencies on the basis of finger prints. If rigging is proved, the accused should be punished and if not we would tender apology for this demand.”
Khan was addressing the party office-bearers and workers at NA-122, from where he contested the general elections and lost the seat to Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) candidate Ayaz Saddiq with a small margin.
The PTI chairperson said that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had ordered re-counting of votes in NA-122 but Saddiq had gotten a stay order on the decision.
"I asked him what made him hide behind this stay order. If he trusted his votes, he should have allowed recounting," said the PTI chairperson.
Earlier, PTI had presented a 2500-page white paper to the Supreme Court which it claimed contained evidence of rigging during the general elections.
"The rigging masters did an excellent job in casting 8,000 votes in one polling station where registered voters were only 1,500," said Khan.
He added that during the by-elections 27 counterfeited bags were found but even then, the decision declaring the PML-N candidate successful was allowed to stand.
The PTI chairperson said that he had requested the Supreme Court to do justice without constituting election tribunals as that would only prolong the issue.
Criticising the PML-N government for deviating from its promises made before the elections, he said that if the government recovered even a single looted dollar, he "would personally shake hands with the PML-N leadership in the best interest of the country".
Talking about a scuffle between PTI workers and media persons that occurred during a PTI protest in Mall Road, he said that it was an unfortunate event and apologised to the media.
Other PTI leaders present during the address included Punjab chapter president Ejaz Chaudhry and General Secretary Punjab Dr Yasmin Rashid.
COMMENTS (39)
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Bunch of usual hogwash and nothing else from IK. Clearly, these antiques are nothing but a lousy attempt at keeping the moral of trolls and Burger Party on a high.
@PTI: LOIN roaring?????? Seriously... or is it a pun?
I have a question for those who say that IK should be focusing on KPK only. If one man takes 365 days to build a house, will 365 men build a similar house in 1 day? The people of KPK have chosen their representatives who are working for betterment of their province, it's not necessary that ALL PTI members should be focusing on KPK ALL the time. There are other issues at hand as well which need to be resolved and election rigging is one such issue which if not addressed this time will come back to haunt us in the next elections.
Well don't see any harm if finger printing or recounting is done in 4 constituency demanded by IK. If there is nothing to hide this should be done ASAP unless:)......it's as simple as this.
We should not mix it with IK performance in KPK these are two different issues.(common sense)
Afzal
The Great Leader even if you get all those 4 seats what would you be able to do? Your defeat is so wide and deep that you cannot get out of this hole even if you are given a dozen seats in NA. Get a real job and start doing something for a change that you promised in 90 days. Grow up and stop playing games at this retirement age.
Good call! fulfilling promises you made is too hard... I mean eliminating corruption in 90 days come on what was he smoking!
To all who say that Imran Khan should get over rigging and start working in the province should know that KPK is the only province in Pakistan who has shown a mark difference after the general elections!!! The mobile court has been inaugurated, mother and child health care centres are being made, they are planning of equal education and much more! But if he keeps quiet on Rigging starts moving on then rigging will just be an old story and like all past rigging this will be forgotten!!People of Pakistan change your habit of critisizig just for the sake of it! He is fighting for you!
What a shame! If you win, it is a mandate. When somebody else wins, it is snatching. If you lie, you will say sorry. If somebody else lies, he should be punished. Does IK think before he speaks? Or he thinks that his audience does not think?
Fixing the education portfolio, coming up with a security policy against militants and "ending" corruption in KPK (where they already have a PROVINCIAL mandate) is not the first priority for IK. Instead, it's getting back their mandate - what do they intend to do with that mandate though, that is the real question. I voted for PTI but sorry to say that IK has completely lost the plot. PTI sheep who will keep bleating praises of their dear leader's idiotic statements here - I request you to wake up and face reality.
For all those critisizing IK; please rise about the petty party politics. He is speaking against corruption and you all against him for doing that. Is he an actor who has to bring a new act everytime he speaks to entertain people like you? Have we addressed the rigging issue that you people are asking him to move on? Be thankful that some one is not forgetting this issue.
The questoin we should be asking that if every other party is also claiming rigging then why are they not protesting against it? I think it's because they are part of that rigging and are happy with their share of the pie until next elections.
For Allah's sake have mercy on Pakistan and support the people who are against crime; and stop asking them to move on because at some time we to have to stop accepting every atrocity bestowed on us!!!!
@ahmed He is Egomaniac, everything is about him. There is no country or countrys intrest for him. After winning even world cup he never mentioned in his speech pakistan, pakistanis even did not thank players.
Imran Khan has did nothing after stepping into the politics except abusing and criticizing. He can't do any thing positive. He can't keep discipline in his party.
I think IK should just let it go now. Everybody knows that there was plenty of cheating or rigging. Nothing's going to be done about it since well, the ecp said they were fair enough for them lol. Besides the public is generally too stupid to understand what's going on so he should just stick to KPK for now.
Tsunami Khan lost his Homebase in Mianawali, His Citadel in Peshawar. One of constituency, NA 110 , he wants vote recount , he lost provincial seat PP123 UNDER it badly in bye elections but he is such a Sharamnaak Character, He never going to accept defeat. Looser!
Imran Khan has become victim of his own big talk...he has superiority complex..he was projected by media esp. TV as if he will sweep the election to become P.M
He is doing all this for pak, not for himself. We should support him. He is above 60 and don't need anything but a corruption free pak.
Running province is a job he will render for five years.Whereas exposing rigging is of utmost importance to set the record straight.Do not mix them.Why SC is not ordering thumb audit in mere 4 constituencies.Why Ayaz Sadiq has got stay?When will election tribunals decide appeals.In five years' time?
What about the snatching in K-P?
Let's start with NA-1. What you have to tell nation about that? And what about Mianwali? Even if you get few more seats that you claim were rigged that is not going to change the picture. Many who looked towards you are beginning to get sick of your rhetoric and see you whining all the time. Your number 1 priority You need to deliver on promises that you made in KP.
IK is getting old. he needs a new perspective. All that he stood for before election has crumbled right in front of him now he needs his political life to reinstate so he needs something to stay in news!
Dear IK even if your candidate is declared winner in NA 122 it will make no difference for your party in Punjab.You better go and prove yourself in KPK.Voters understand and know everything.They are only waiting to see what you do in your majority province,so don't waste your precious time and go where they are looking for you
Isn't this guy supposed to be running a province or something? :/
@Aamer Khawaja: Dear Aamer,
Next time any robbery murder or any other crime happens near you .. Please do not go to the police and just carry on with your life .. because in your eyes it is okay if some one does injustice and crime .. and people like Imran Khan should keep quiet and carry on?
In any other country the whole nation will support such person or politician who is out to change the future of your country by stopping rigging ... He does not need your advice and knows very well that a few dozen seats let alone one or two will not bring him in to power but He still is fighting against injustice .. He fully supported re-election in Mardan etc where recently women were barred from voting despite the fact that his party had clearly won with huge margin according to unofficial results.
We must support all those people who are against rigging so that these cheaters sitting in the parliament are thrown out of the parliament in future.
Keep it up Imran Khan. People like Zafar and Aamer Khawaja don't want justice in Pakistan and are supporting corrupt people.
@Ayaz:
He didn't actually do that. His petition specifically said that you can do all the recounting you want, but it is not the legal mandate of the judicial officer to conduct the recount, but why should facts stand in the way of a good story? IK himself is lying with his statements.
Get it done from Facebook and other social media. You are just another bigot riding on the shoulders of uniformed persons.
SHAME!!! please worry about our country and people... please do something relevant to country and common people. Highly Disappointed by IK
No Mr.Khan apology won't do,you will have to retire from politics ,if proven wrong,for creating all this useless buzz.
Yawn!...............Rigging Rigging......yeah yeah we heard that a million times. Get a life and move on please....
Interesting that he is saying these things in NA-122, the constituency he ran from, but never bothered to visit before the election.
iIf rigging is not found, why shouldn't IK/PTI be punished for false accusations that negate the credibility of the entire elections?
Ayad Saddiq running towards LHC to get a stay order against recounting tells everything about the elections and how they were rigged. The ECP in particular and judiciary in general is playing a very dangerous game with the future of Pakistan.
Supreme court should establish the credibility of the elections by recounting using finger prints. Pakistan's future depends on it.
for God sake,plz look forward with positive thinking do something that u are true to ur words which u have not proved as yet .song of rigging is boring .if u r really committed plz resign from assemblies as protest .abusing assemblies and govt. while u r part of it does not make any sense. plz review otherwise we will loss a honest and committed leader who is playing in the hands of Grues in his party .
Dear Imran,
Please spare our lives & let us see how things go in the next 5-years, hows about you showing ure work in KPK & letting PMLN show its work in Punjab & rest of Pakistan. We would all like to move on from 11th May & get to work.
Regards
loin roars again.....love u IK