Rashid challenges Imran to prove rigging allegations in Parliament
Information minister says unsuccessful attempts have been made to discredit elections and the election commission
ISLAMABAD:
Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid on Wednesday urged PTI chief Imran Khan to bring his grievances about the 2013 election to Parliament, while presenting a fact-sheet titled ‘The Truth behind PTI's allegations’.
“Parliament is the only platform to raise your issues in a democratic system,” said Rashid, while addressing a joint press conference with Finance Minister Ishaq Dar and Minister of State for Information Technology Anusha Rehman in Islamabad.
The information minister said Imran should raise his concerns regarding the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) Post-Election Review report in Parliament, while clarifying that the report released by the ECP on September 22, does not claim that the PTI was winning the polls during the general elections.
Rashid went on to add that unsuccessful attempts have been made to discredit the May 2013 elections and the election commission.
Further, Finance Minister Dar said that elaborate and effective measures were introduced in the 2013 elections to ensure transparency for the first time in the country's history.
“The election procedure needs to be reformed but this doesn’t mean the results of the general elections should not be accepted,” the finance minister said.
“Initially the PML-N won 148 seats in the National Assembly against the required 136 for a majority, while PTI just won 34 including minorities and seats reserved for women,” Dar claimed, questioning, how a party with just 34 seats could make claims of forming a government.
“If PTI had complaints against elections, it should have filed petitions with the election tribunals,” the finance minister said, adding that PTI filed a total of 58 petitions, including 30 against National Assembly constituencies. "Of these 30 constituencies, only 15 were from Punjab and PML-N and PTI candidates were in direct contest in just two of these constituencies," he added.
Referring to the PTI’s demands, Dar said, “We even offered PTI vice chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi to take over the chairmanship of the parliamentary committee on electoral reforms.”
Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid on Wednesday urged PTI chief Imran Khan to bring his grievances about the 2013 election to Parliament, while presenting a fact-sheet titled ‘The Truth behind PTI's allegations’.
“Parliament is the only platform to raise your issues in a democratic system,” said Rashid, while addressing a joint press conference with Finance Minister Ishaq Dar and Minister of State for Information Technology Anusha Rehman in Islamabad.
The information minister said Imran should raise his concerns regarding the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) Post-Election Review report in Parliament, while clarifying that the report released by the ECP on September 22, does not claim that the PTI was winning the polls during the general elections.
Rashid went on to add that unsuccessful attempts have been made to discredit the May 2013 elections and the election commission.
Further, Finance Minister Dar said that elaborate and effective measures were introduced in the 2013 elections to ensure transparency for the first time in the country's history.
“The election procedure needs to be reformed but this doesn’t mean the results of the general elections should not be accepted,” the finance minister said.
“Initially the PML-N won 148 seats in the National Assembly against the required 136 for a majority, while PTI just won 34 including minorities and seats reserved for women,” Dar claimed, questioning, how a party with just 34 seats could make claims of forming a government.
“If PTI had complaints against elections, it should have filed petitions with the election tribunals,” the finance minister said, adding that PTI filed a total of 58 petitions, including 30 against National Assembly constituencies. "Of these 30 constituencies, only 15 were from Punjab and PML-N and PTI candidates were in direct contest in just two of these constituencies," he added.
Referring to the PTI’s demands, Dar said, “We even offered PTI vice chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi to take over the chairmanship of the parliamentary committee on electoral reforms.”