CEC Sardar Mohammad Raza receives PTI chief Imran Khan. PHOTO: NNI
“It should be clear whether there was rigging in general elections or was it our misunderstanding,” PTI chief Imran Khan said after a meeting with Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sardar Raza, an ex-judge. “Our struggle is for the future of democracy as we want to rectify the electoral system in the country,” said Imran. The PTI chief also signalled his willingness to accept the probe results even if Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) might emerge victorious again.
However, Imran pointed out that the government is saying that the findings of the election tribunals should not come before the judicial commission --- a clear sign that it wants to avoid setting up a commission. While talking about his meeting with the CEC, Imran said that he took up the issue of delay in decisions of election tribunals.
Referring to the case of NA-122, the constituency where National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq defeated PTI chairman, Imran said that “the Lahore High Court (LHC) had issued a stay order for the last one and half years which is against the law.”
The result of NA-122 will come during the month of February and “in case it is proven that I was wrong, I will accept that before the nation,” said Imran.
An independent election commission is the goal for which PTI will continue its struggle, in addition to aiming for an independent judiciary and an independent media, the PTI chairman is said to have told the CEC. “Our struggle is for an independent judiciary for real democracy in the country,” he added.
The PTI also asked the CEC for voting rights for overseas Pakistanis for which the commission has set up a task force. Electronic voting also came up in the meeting. The PTI chairman also asked the CEC for an early decision regarding NA-122 along with the proposal of suspending the NA speaker till the decision is announced.
When asked about PTI’s future strategy in case the judicial commission is not constituted, Imran said, “We will come out on the streets again.” While referring to the recent terrorist attack in Shikarpur, Imran clarified: “We do not want to create hurdles for the government in fighting terrorism.” But, he said, that if justice is not served and all avenues are closed “we would have to come out on the streets again”.
Responding to a question about Senate elections, Imran said that “voting in Senate elections should be open” as members were selling their votes due to secret balloting. “We are working on making the system transparent in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P),” he added.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 3rd, 2015.
COMMENTS (15)
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1737796524-0/Untitled-design-(32)1737796524-0-270x192.webp "it s official kubra khan and gohar rasheed are getting married")
@Saleem: Whats the best way of ensuring that next elections are not rigged? Just tightening the laws is not going to work because even the existing law does not allow the rigging but we all know that it happened. So what difference will any new laws make as long as you don't implement them and then make sure people get punished if they don't adhere to them. that is exactly what he has campaigned for in the last year or so
we see daily a new drama from Khan especially after he got married. He should attend his KP province rather than disturbance in whole Pakistan if he wants to be successful in next election. another advice for him to disown Sh Rasheed politics if he wants to be a matured politician in Pakistan.
"raising at the same time the possibility that his party had acted on “a misunderstanding”." Oh GOD NOT ANOTHER U TURN. PLEASE!
The Cricketer getting ready to go to London for the season. No time for dharnas now. Elton John and the Duchess of Manchester is calling.
Who will make for the financial losses and the time lost due to this 'misunderstanding'.What kind of attitude is this he calls the elections rigged because ten nuts in his party 'feel like' that that the elections were rigged and then boils the country for 6 months and then one fine morning meets the CEC and withdraws his charges of rigging. Do you think this is a quality of a sane leader with wisdom or a captain of a one day match?
Not blaming Quid-e-Azam, but if he knew what would happen to Pakistan, even he would think of disregarding his decision of separating from India.
@raider: we all know that the guy is abusive, one doesn't have to dig but listen to a speech. Imran Khan is a abusive person.
@raider: Pakistanis have little experience in democracy and they barely know how the electoral dynamics play out. Candidates in elections routinely concede BEFORE the final results and winning candidates often declare victory based on counting trends. It doesn't mean that they have inside information.
Elections were rigged no doubt, on selective seats, to convert just winning to a majority. would any democracy in the world would allow or is there any precedent any person to make victory speech at 11:23 pm even when presiding officers were in lines for submission of results, go to YouTube search for results trend ealier and the after a sudden trend changes abruptly, keep in mind great game, keep in mind gulf factor, najam sathi, aftkhar chaudry, keep in mind fakhru bahi resignation, keep in mind NADAR reports of constituencies verified to date, but every time it is not 11th may, wait because we deserve all this
@ali: "Abusive spouse", review your language, no respected personnel of society could think and entitle others' wife like this, at least think for one moment what you have spewed obliviously
Married life is different from single.
@Zaida Parvez: Or may be after getting married Mr Khan wants to enjoy life with a wife over 20 years younger than him, one who knows how to live with a abusive spouse, suddenly protests are not as charming.
Imran Khan must have realized that his "sources" who said that x number of votes were bogus was just blowing hot air. Now a rather embarrassed PTI chief is out to mend fences. A more resourceful person would have queried how the "source" could have known this, but not Mr.Khan.
@Saleem: If Imran does that, next elections will also be rigged.
Imran Khan is going to be the winner in next election. He should make sure that next election that next elections are not rigged rather than keep visiting ghost of the past. He should have learnt by now that he is not going to go anywhere with those ghosts and should rather concentrate on delivering in KP.