ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-backed independent candidate Shoaib Shaheen on Friday said that he would “drag” Tariq Fazal Chaudhry of rival Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) to the court as he was declared victorious through manipulating poll results without paying any heed to the people’s mandate.

Speaking at a presser, Shaheen, who is also representing the jailed PTI founding chairman Imran Khan in different cases, said that he was well ahead of Chaudhry from NA-47 a day ago, but election results were manipulated to declare his rival victorious, which is in no way acceptable.

Expressing concerns about injustice and oppression against the PTI, he claimed that the nomination papers were unjustly taken away, accusing the returning officers (ROs) of being “experts in corruption.”

“They took away our election symbol of bat,” as he blamed the Supreme Court for the ongoing injustice and tyranny, adding “I had a lead of more than 50,000 votes, my opponent had a total of 40,000 votes polled.”

“My votes were added to Tariq’s vote list,” he alleged.

He said that he approached the Islamabad deputy commissioner and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) by writing applications but received no response.

He pointed out that every candidate was supposed to be given Form 45, and chided the powers that be by saying, “If you don’t like someone, will you change their vote.”

“I wasn’t behind Tariq in any of the polling station results,” said Shaheen, blaming the ECP for the indecent conduct of the election.

He also mentioned his willingness to address any reservations against him with the RO.

“There was no need to spend billions. You should have just announced that the ladla (blue-eyed) [PML-N’s Nawaz Sharif] is coming into power,” he added.

Accusing the powers that be of undermining the foundations and causing harm to the state, he declared his intent to protest and challenge the result.

“The people are being denied their basic rights,” he said, emphasising that “today’s war is not for power but for the survival of the people.”

He continued that he had the complete results of NA-47 (Islamabad) by 11pm and the courts were the only option with him to challenge this dishonesty.

He maintained that there has been a change of over 50,000 votes, which he said never happens anywhere in the world.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024