Imran Khan gestures during a press conference in Islamabad. PHOTO: ZAFAR ASLAM/ EXPRESS
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan on Friday announced plans to boycott Geo for its alleged role in rigging as he demanded a probe into the scandal of foreign funding to certain media outlets.
“No PTI representative will appear on Geo or subscribe to Geo/Jang newspapers till such time as Geo apologises for its role in the rigging of the general elections,” he told a press conference at the PTI secretariat.
“The government should form an independent commission to investigate the matter of foreign funding to media houses, including Geo, which received money from the US and other foreign sources,” he added.
The PTI chief also requested Chief Justice Tassadaq Hussain Jillani to take suo motu action against alleged rigging in last year’s general elections.
Referring to the PTI’s white paper on rigging as well as the Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) report, he said the former chief justice, the returning officers (ROs), a media group and the election commissioners from Punjab and Sindh played a role in aiding and abetting rigging in the May 11, 2013 vote.
He also mentioned the infamous “35 punctures” of the then-acting Punjab chief minister, Najam Sethi, who, Imran said, was duly rewarded later.
“It has been almost a full year and neither election tribunals nor the Supreme Court (SC) have given any decisions on our petitions.
“The PTI’s demand for thumbprint verifications in four constituencies has still not been acceded to by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and the petition for the same remains pending with the SC,” he said.
He said the PTI was left with no option but to come out onto the streets to protest the rigging so that it might be ensured that transparent and fair elections are held in future.
“Otherwise people – including youth and professionals – who came out in unprecedented numbers to vote in May 2013 polls will lose faith in the whole electoral process and many will assume that polls can only be won through fraud,” he said.
“This bodes ill for the future of democracy in Pakistan and the PTI will not allow this to happen,” he added.
Citing the difficulties faced by the PTI members, he said the PTI candidate Hamid Zaman in National Assembly seat NA 118 had to spend a total of Rs5.2 million – Rs 1.7 million to get the thumbprint verification by National Database Registration Authority (Nadra), Rs1.5 million at election tribunal, and Rs2 million on lawyers.
“It was found that of the 325 bags, 170 were opened and only 69 had all the requisite documents. Of the 170,000 votes cast only 81,000 had partial or complete record. Some 70 bags were not the ECP bags but had been altered. And all this was the RO’s responsibility,” he claimed.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 3rd, 2014.
COMMENTS (20)
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Supposedly Imran wants to strengthen democracy by protesting against alleged rigging. Does he not understand that his not-so-secret cooperation with Army+ISI is the bigger threat to democracy? Add to that his open support for Musharraf a decade ago, and it is easy to see that he is not sincere about rule of law.
Yes, that is a typical statement from Im the Dim whose outburst, as usual, lacks substance except for the first initial noise. Is there any logic in what he says? He is perennially swinging from one position to another -- at times coddling up with the military, then with the mullahs and other shady elements, and, finally, presenting himself as a liberal-minded, Western-educated (is he really educated despite his claims to a Cambridge education) "modern face" of Pakistan. Many experts see signs of schizophrenia in this man. We listened with horror at his undiluted remarks about the brave Pakistani girl Talala and, at the same time, expressing his "understanding" of the thugs that tried to kill this child whose only sin, if that is the word, was to seek education. Many of us from the diaspora shudder to think of Pakistan's fate if he ever came to power. That would be doomsday for Pakistan which is already falling into the abyss of the stone age.
Such a stupid argument by PTI and an even more silly decision......these sort of moves are responsible for IK and PTI losing their popularity real fast
From where Imran has got the degree of telling lies. He is not trustworthy.
PML - N all the way. Only hope is Nawaz Sharif. Imran Khan will remain confused the whole life.
PTI is the only hope!
Jang/GEO is not anti PTI but anti Pakistan
tehreek-e-insaf "comedy of errors"
PTI should digest the defeat. Pakistanis did not vote for PTI due to its immature leadership. Imran always does mistakes.
Mr. Khan, please dont waste time of nation. You are a total confused and immature politician. You never stay to your words and always take U turn. You are enemy of Pakistan and political stability in the country. I hate you.
The elections would have been free only when PTI would have won.
PTI and establishment on the same track.
IK is a total disappointment.
Dirty politics of Khan. I hate this man.
There is no doubt that Jang/GEO is working against Pakistan.
If we observe closely Jang Paper just after may 11, seems clear that Imran Khan is right, and as PMLN made the government, GEO is unconditionally supporting the government with lesser criticism with respect to last PPP regime, and we all know PMLN didn't made a significant change in policies. May 11 was a per-planned day, no doubt about that. Justice should be done. And, if Imran Khan is taking this initiative, he has to get some result out of it, not just point scoring.
Imran Khan, please, please talk sense. Is a newspaper or its editor responsible for election rigging? Please grow up. This matter should have been raised just after the election. It is too late now. Isn't it? People cannot be fooled by such statements. Proof of the pudding is in the eating. Let us see how many people turn up in the demonstrations. A journalist of repute has been attacked and Imran Khan and PTI are silent. Any reasons? Freedom of the press is important in a society. Any threat to newspaper journalist is condemnable in a free society. I wish Hamid Mir a speedy recovery.
Jang and Geo, "Hore Choopo", never ever project a person in future who is a back stabber. Imran once again has become a toy in the hands of anti-democratic forces.