Senior leaders of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, Ayaz Sadiq and former Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Saturday, expressed grave concern over the performance of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) former Justice Sardar Mohammad Raza in conducting free and fair elections.
Talking to reporters, Ayaz Sadiq regretted that he, along with former Prime Minister Abbasi, had requested a meeting with CEC, but upon reaching the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), they were told that the CEC had already left for his home.
"I had requested to meet him as speaker National Assembly, as I am still holding the position, along with former Prime Minister Shahid Khaqab Abbasi to convey the concerns and complaints of massive rigging received from across the country," he said, adding that the CEC left for home without informing him.
"This is very unfortunate that he left for home without conveying to us," he said, adding that the people in many parts of the country are protesting against the alleged rigging in the elections and there are also reports that one person died during a protest in Mansehra.
"I telephoned him [CEC] at 12:00pm today and requested a meeting with him and members of the ECP, but he didn't respond," he said, adding that he did not expect such a "behavior" from the CEC.
To a question, he said that he had sought time for meeting in his capacity as the speaker of the former National Assembly, adding it is up to the political parties to make any decision on seeking resignation of the CEC.
When asked whether PML-N elected members of the assemblies would administer the oath, he said that decision on the issue is yet to be made.
Responding to the concerns of the PML-N leaders, the spokesman for the ECP told media persons that Ayaz Sadiq had sought time of the meeting as PML-N leader and not as speaker National Assembly.
He clarified that the CEC conveyed to Ayaz Sadiq that the ECP members were not present at the Commission while he was informed that his meeting with the CEC could be arranged. "He [Sadiq] did not respond when he was told that he can meet the CEC," the spokesman added. Earlier, a petition for votes recount by former prime minister and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has been rejected.
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