ISLAMABAD: On Tuesday, members of the Senate called for an investigation into alleged rigging during the general elections held on February 8. The objective is to ensure the integrity of the polls and uphold the public mandate.
During the session, Senators Muhammad Tahir Bizinjo, Sardar Muhammad Shafiq Tareen, Mushtaq Ahmed, Syed Ali Zafar, and others raised concerns about the election results and highlighted the accusations made by former Rawalpindi commissioner Liaqat Ali Chattha during a recent press conference, implicating the Election Commission of Pakistan and Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa in the alleged rigging.
Senator Mushtaq Ahmed from Jamat-e-Islami urged the resignation of the Chief Election Commissioner, suggesting treason and breach of constitution proceedings. He emphasized that those involved in election rigging are betraying the nation, and the election commission should seek forgiveness from the public.
Mushtaq called for the CEC’s resignation and proceedings under Article 6 of the constitution. He also advocated for the formation of an empowered judicial commission to conduct a nationwide inquiry based on Form 45.
PML-N Senator Irfan Siddiqui questioned the PTI’s double standards in reaching out to JUI-F chief Fazlur Rehman over alleged rigging while not extending cooperation to other political parties. He highlighted the similarities between the PTI’s current allegations and the injustices faced by the PML-N in 2018. Siddiqui urged an end to the politics of confrontation and emphasized the need to address irregularities.
PTI Senator Saif Ullah Abro called for the verification of 858 seats in national and provincial assemblies with almost 160,000 Form-45 through an audit to establish the credibility of the General Elections-2024. He committed that PTI would accept the mandate determined through the probe.
PTI Senator Barrister Ali Zafar asserted that despite incidents of poll rigging, the people of Pakistan had decisively supported PTI on February 8. He highlighted harassment faced by the PTI during the elections and emphasized the need to address post-poll rigging to ensure the return of the party’s mandate.
