Image Credits- Reuters
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has initiated a thorough investigation into accusations of widespread rigging leveled by former Rawalpindi commissioner Liaquat Ali Chattha, implicating the judiciary and top election officials in favoring the Nawaz Sharif-led PML-N during the recent elections.
Chattha’s allegations, asserting the manipulation of election results in collaboration with judiciary and election authorities, led to his resignation, amidst nationwide protests by Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) supporters, denouncing the purported electoral misconduct.
Chattha stated that he was taking responsibility for the wrongdoing and asserted that the chief election commissioner and the chief justice were also completely involved in the matter, as reported by Dawn.
However, the ECP promptly refuted Chattha’s claims, asserting that neither the chief election commissioner nor any election official issued instructions to alter election results, and commissioners are not directly involved in electoral processes.
The newly appointed Commissioner of Rawalpindi, Saif Anwar Jappa, clarified Chattha’s role as merely coordinating elections.
In response, PML-N leader Marriyum Aurangzeb emphasized the necessity of evidence and official channels for addressing electoral grievances.
PTI voiced dissatisfaction, alleging that their initial parliamentary majority was diminished due to electoral irregularities.
Other parties, including Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) and Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA), echoed concerns of rigging.
Protests, now in their eighth day in Quetta and Dera Murad Jamali, with a notable presence of women, persist despite the reopening of major highways.
However, sections of the Quetta-Chaman and Quetta-Taftan highways remain blocked, causing inconvenience to travellers.
In the election aftermath, over 90 independent candidates supported by PTI secured victories, forming the largest parliamentary bloc, while PML-N and PPP secured 75 and 54 seats respectively.
Nevertheless, PML-N and PPP are poised to establish a coalition government with the support of four additional political parties.
As the ECP delves into the allegations and the political landscape adjusts to post-election dynamics, the integrity of Pakistan’s electoral process remains under scrutiny, with implications for the country’s democratic governance and political stability.
