Pre-poll rigging alleged in NA-137

PTI urges CEC to take notice of delay in settlement of 40 election petitions.

LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) president Ejaz Chaudhary and former Intelligence Bureau chief Brigadier (r) Ijaz Ahmed Shah, an independent candidate for by-elections in NA-137 Nankana Sahib, on Wednesday said campaign rules were being violated ahead of the by-polls.

Addressing a press conference at Lahore Press Club, they said state machinery was being used to rig the by-polls in NA-137. The seat had fallen vacant with the death of Rai Mansab Ali Khan.

Shah claimed that several ministers were canvassing for the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) candidate. He said he had written to the ECP about violation rules but no action had been taken on his complaint. He urged the ECP to take notice of the situation and ensure free and fair elections in the constituency.

Chauhdry said the pre-poll rigging in NA-137 was similar to the rigging in May 2013 general elections. He said the ECP should take notice of it.

“The government has the mandate of a rigged election and the PTI will not accept rigged elections again,” he said.

The PTI president questioned the performance and the credibility of election tribunals, saying the chief election commissioner should take notice of the delay in the decision of cases.

Chaudhary said the tribunals were to set receive another extension after expiry of an extended term. He said under the Constitution, election petitions should be decided made within 120 days of being submitted.

He said 40 cases were still pending with election tribunals. He said the performance of tribunals had raised questions about ECP’s credibility.

PTI’s general secretary Yasmin Rashid said election tribunals had been functional since June 2013. She said tribunals were required by law to decide cases within 120 days.

Rashid said failure to reform the electoral system would result in widespread rigging in the next elections.

“People will then lose faith in democracy,” she said.

Information ecretary Andleeb Abbas said that the party had been expressing its reservations on electoral rigging for 18 months.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 19^th, 2015.