Poll rigging chorus: Former CJ to take legal action against Imran

Decision prompted by allegations levelled by PTI chief against Iftikhar Chaudhry.

ISLAMABAD: Former chief justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry has decided to take legal action against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan for dragging him into an alleged rigging plot, a close aide said.

In recent weeks, the PTI chief has lashed out at the former chief justice (CJ) for his alleged role in rigging during last year’s general elections.

A close aide to the chief justice revealed that the former top judge has decided to take legal action against the PTI chief for making wild, unsubstantiated claims against him.

“A notice is almost ready to be sent to Imran Khan,” a family member of Justice Chaudhry disclosed while talking to The Express Tribune.

During his final days at the helm of the Supreme Court, Justice Chaudhry also served a contempt notice to PTI chief for terming the returning officers’ role in the general election as “shameful”.

Imran, who claims that the May 2013 general elections were massively rigged, has demanded a probe into the role of Justice Chaudhry, the returning officers and a media group.

While addressing a rally to mark his party’s 18th founding day anniversary, the PTI chief alleged that the former CJ was involved in what he called “match fixing” during last year’s parliamentary elections. Imran said that those who were involved in election rigging should be exposed and put on trial under Article 6 of the Constitution.

In his response, the former CJ has denied any role and termed Imran’s allegations as baseless, saying that a chief justice has nothing to do with the general election. It was Election Commission of Pakistan’s duty to appoint Returning Officers to perform election duties, said Chaudhry. “Leveling the accusations without evidence is not appropriate. Bring proof on this count,” he said.

The former CJ also underlined that correspondence with the poll body and returning officers and the records stand as a testament that there was no pressure whatsoever from the judiciary on the election commission.

Breaking his vow of silence earlier this year, the former top judge also said, “I don’t like to comment on anyone’s senseless views,” The allegations hurled by the PTI chief do not warrant a response from him.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 7^th, 2014.