No complaint received so far, says ECP

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) Tuesday claimed that it has received no complaint of rigging in the general election and urged all political parties to respect mandate of the people by accepting the results of free and fair polls. Speaking to media persons here, Secretary ECP Babar Yaqoob regretted the 'baseless allegation' leveled by some political parties that elections were massively rigged in favor of a specific political party.
"If a candidate has a complaint about any polling station or constituency, he should follow the procedure as per law," he said, adding that any demand against the spirit of law is considered as violation of the Constitution in any civilized society.
The secretary said that July 25 polls were free and fair, adding that all necessary measures were taken to provide level playing field to all contesting candidates. "One can ascertain that the 2018 general election was transparent by noting that polls were concluded on time in most parts of the country," he said.
About the demand of some political parties for resignation of chief election commissioner, he said the Commission rejects such demands and condemns the baseless allegations of rigging in the polls.
"We expect all candidates whether they won or lost to respect people's mandate and not only accept the results but also strengthen the democratic process," he added.
The secretary said that the ECP requested the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) not to arrest political leaders till the polls were over following a petition by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz.
He said the elections were postponed in NA-60 Rawalpindi constituency after conviction of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) candidate Hanif Abbasi to ensure a level playing field for candidates of all political parties.
Citing reports of Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) and European Union Election Observation Mission (EU EOM), he said that polls were held free and fair, adding this is an honor for Pakistan.
This was the first election in which a large number of women participated across the country, he said, adding the voter turnout stood at 52 percent as people exercised their right to elect their candidates freely.