“Imran Khan’s votes had decreased, according to the tribunal, and therefore Imran should accept the report,” says Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid. PHOTO: PID
ISLAMABAD: The ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) called upon Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan on Saturday to accept the verdict of the Election Tribunal inspecting the vote count in the NA-122 constituency and avoid damage to the national consensus built to fight terrorism.
Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid pointed out that “Imran Khan’s votes had decreased, according to the tribunal, and therefore Imran should accept the report.”
Addressing a news conference, the minister said the PTI chairman had demanded a recount of votes in NA-122, Lahore wherein National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq emerged victorious.
“The PML-N had been anxiously waiting for the tribunal’s result because we were confident that there was no rigging in 2013 general elections,” he remarked. The tribunal has sent the report to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), the minister added.
Speaking about the authenticity of votes, Pervaiz Rashid elaborated on the procedure defined by the ECP which makes a vote valid. “Government was demanded that four constituencies should be opened but they were already opened and proceedings were going on,” he said. He admitted there were some delay in the proceedings of NA-122, but “we were not responsible for that.”
Talking about the PTI chairman’s latest decision to deposit electricity bills of his Bani Gala residence, the minister said that “Imran good decision yesterday and I would request you to accept this report of the tribunal.” Daniyal Aziz of the PML-N said: “Imran Khan’s claim of 30,000 fake votes is nothing but a pack of lies.” People were misguided and trapped through conspiracy and lies, he added.
PTI’s reaction
Moments after the press conference, PTI information secretary Dr Shireen Mazari expressed her regret that “lies had become the norm for the PML-N government, especially its information minister.”
“It was not a recount of votes that was ordered but an audit of the votes,” Mazari said, while pointing out irregularities such as 30,000 bogus votes, 100 polling stations with no forms XIV and XV as required under the election laws, duplicate ballots with the same serial numbers, duplicate attested form XIV for the same polling station but with different results, etc.
“Also if as Pervaiz Rashid claims, there has been no rigging, why is the government so petrified of forming an inquisitorial Judicial Commission to examine the issue of rigging in the May 2013 general elections?” asked Mazari.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 11th, 2015.
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1.30,000 bogus votes. 2. Counter foils missing requirements at 100 location. 3. Vote infiltration from other na's. 4. Form 14, 15 missing. This evidence cannot be ignored in what they decide on Monday.
What about the bags with broken and tempered with seals? And if you could send senior Police Officials to Jinnah Hospital after Modal Town massacre then you could do all to hide your wickedness here.Old habits die hard Mr Perv.