Poll irregularities: Imran demands resignations of ECP officials, chairman NADRA

PTI chairman says officials have lost all legal, moral and ethical grounds to hold their posts after NA-122 verdict

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan demanded on Sunday resignations of chairman National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) and officials of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) over alleged rigging and irregularities reported in the 2013 general elections. 

“Those found involved in illegalities, irregularities and malpractices in 2013 polls as explained in the judicial commission report should be taken actions against as they committed criminal offences,” said Imran while addressing a press conference after party meeting in Islamabad.

The PTI chief argued that following the election tribunal’s verdict on NA-122, ECP officials and the NADRA chairman had lost all legal, moral and ethical grounds to hold their posts.

Read: SC forms judicial commission to probe alleged rigging in 2013 polls

National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq was unseated by an election tribunal of Punjab after it invalidated his election of NA-122 (Lahore-V) and ordered re-polling in the constituency.

The PTI chairman said four out of five members of the ECP were involved in rigging the polls, whereas chairman NADRA presented a flawed report to the tribunal to save a Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) candidate.

He also warned of launching a protest movement if the ECP failed to answer the letter sent to the election authority by his party.

Lamenting the election system in the country, the PTI chief said if those who were found to be involved in rigging were not prosecuted, there was no point of conducting any sort of elections.

Read: PML-N loses big wicket

Negating allegations that the 126-day long sit-in spearheaded by PTI last year was supported by the military establishment, Imran said it was an old practice of the PML-N to malign Pakistan's armed forces.

Earlier in July, Imran had accepted the findings of the judicial commission report formed to probe alleged rigging in the 2013 general elections.

The commission in its 237-page report said despite some lapses on part of the ECP “the 2013 general elections were in large part organised and conducted fairly and in accordance with the law.”