Amidst allegations of electoral manipulation during the February 8 elections, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) is urging Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa to take suo moto notice of the alleged rigging.
In a letter addressed to the CJP, PTI spokesperson Shoaib Shaheen is seeking the apex judge’s intervention regarding the alleged rigging in NA-47 and NA-48 constituencies. He contends that addressing these issues is crucial for upholding the supremacy of the Constitution, ensuring the rule of law, protecting fundamental rights, and promoting democracy in the country.
The February 8 polls have been overshadowed by accusations of rigging, with the PTI, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA), and others expressing concerns about fraudulent results in various constituencies nationwide.
Rawalpindi Commissioner Liaquat Ali Chatha made startling revelations a day earlier, implicating Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja and the CJP in large-scale electoral rigging. Chatha claimed to have manipulated results to favor certain candidates.
In response to these allegations, CJP Isa demanded evidence of his involvement in the rigging of the February 8 elections, dismissing the accusations as baseless.
In the letter to the chief justice, Shaheen detailed the alleged rigging in the NA-47 constituency, emphasizing discrepancies between Form 45, where he supposedly secured 104,578 votes, and Form 47, where he was declared invalid with only 86,794 votes. Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) Tariq Fazal Chaudhry was declared the winner with 101,397 votes in Form 47, despite Shaheen’s lead according to Form 45.
Shaheen called for a thorough verification process, urging the issuance of Form 47 and final results based on the authentic information. He proposed swift action, suggesting that those found responsible for tampering with documents be sent to jail. Additionally, he recommended involving district and session judges, assisted by additional sessions judges and senior civil judges, in the verification process.
Expressing concern over the erosion of basic human rights and the integrity of the voting process, Shaheen warned of potential anarchy if these issues are not promptly addressed within Pakistan.
