ISLAMABAD: Terming alleged massive rigging in the recently held general elections as the largest assault on democracy in the country, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Friday claimed that 85 National Assembly seats which the party had won were snatched from it.
Speaking at a presser, PTI leader Salman Akram Raja, who has challenged the victory of his rival candidate citing massive rigging, along with PTI central information secretary Raoof Hasan, Sher Afzal Marwat, Rehana Dar, Khurram Sher Zaman, Tahir Sadiq, Ayaz Amir, and others, claimed that the total number of seats on which PTI-backed independents emerged victorious was 179, and the number of rejected votes cast in favor of the party outnumbered victory votes.
Raja claimed that rigging took place from the polling station to the RO’s office, adding the results which should have been announced based on Form 45 were completely changed. “They rigged the elections on the night of Feb 8 as much as was possible,” he added.
PTI-backed ‘independents’ in Karachi challenge election results
“Prior to the polls, security forces were used fully, and independent candidates were denied the right to campaign for elections,” alleged Raja.
However, PTI central information secretary said: “we have verified data about 46 seats and it is being compiled for 39 other seats”.
He said that the party had three ways to ascertain alleged rigging in the polls, “According to our estimates, out of 177 (National Assembly) seats which were supposed to be ours, only 92 have been given to us. And 85 seats have been taken away from us fraudulently,” he said.
PTI leader Shandana Gulzar said that the party bagged 1.25 million votes from Karachi, and despite contesting from so many constituencies of the port city, the party did not achieve any success.
Seemabia Tahir said that PTI’s Dr Yasmin Rashid was winning from NA-130, but on February 9, Nawaz Sharif was declared the winner from the constituency.
Another PTI candidate from Sialkot, Rehana Dar claimed that she was tortured. She maintained that she is ready for re-election.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024