Imran Khan seeking US interference in polls against Pakistan's sovereignty: PML-N

Lahore [Pakistan], February 17 : Slamming Imran Khan "for seeking United States interference," the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz alleged that the former prime minister is undermining the credibility of general elections through an "organized narrative based on lies", The Express Tribune reported.

According to the report, PML-N Central Secretary Information, Marriyum Aurangzeb, on Friday said that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader's invitation to the US to interfere in the country's elections goes against Pakistan's sovereignty.

She emphasised the need to respect Pakistan's sovereignty and urged those with election grievances to take their complaints to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). The PML-N leader also aimed the media's role in spreading what she dubbed as "propaganda" about inconclusive results, adding that the laws of the land should prevail.

The PML-N leader claimed that PTI candidates started serving up fake and forged Form 45 to the media, even before the official compilation process had begun. She alleged that these forms were not in the hands of polling agents or candidates at that point. As a result, the news media broadcasted partial and unofficial results, creating a false impression of a PTI-backed landslide victory, The Express Tribune reported.

Recounting the PML-N's swift response, Aurangzeb stated that they contacted their candidates and election staff to confirm the authenticity of the results. According to her, PTI's Form 45 was either unstamped, unsigned, or outright counterfeit. Therefore, she alleged, that when the PTI went to the election commission with its grievances, it brought screenshots of news channels instead of the supposed Form 45.

According to her, the PTI has a knack for firing up a media propaganda machine instead of taking their tall tales to the proper legal channels, adding that this tactic was a smokescreen.

She further said that the PTI's rigging claims are baseless and they lack any evidence to support its accusations. This playbook, she pointed out, was also played out in 2014 after the elections and during the PML-N's time in power "when fake documents were waved in press conferences but were dishonourably dismissed in the court of law".

"Why the PTI was presenting their fake proof in front of international media when there are appropriate legal forums? They should have gone to the election commission, to the election tribunals and the courts if they would not be satisfied."

"Virtually all international pre-poll surveys showed the PMLN as the front runner in the 2024 elections, so they know very well where the majority vote of the people was cast," she added.

Marriyum highlighted the apparent hypocrisy of the PTI, noting their double standards. She said that the PTI seemed to conveniently label elections in constituencies it won as transparent, but cry foul of rigging whenever it faced defeat, The Express Tribune reported.

She questioned why the elections in K-P were considered untainted if rigging was allegedly rampant in this particular election. According to her, the genuine Form 45 are the ones officially posted on the ECP's website.

Meanwhile, the Commissioner Rawalpindi Division Liaquat Ali Chatta resigned from his post on Saturday in protest against electoral irregularities, especially rigging.

According to the report, the Commissioner held a press conference at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium in which he tendered his resignation, saying that he had done injustice to the people of Rawalpindi Division.

He admitted that "rigging" took place in Rawalpindi Division and took responsibility for it.

"We converted the losers into winners with a margin of 50,000 votes," he claimed, and he surrendered himself before the police.

"I apologize to the returning officers of my division," he said, adding that his subordinates were crying about what they were directed to do.

Chattha claimed that even today the election staff are affixing fake stamps on the ballot papers."We wronged the country...I should be executed in Rawalpindi's Kachehri Chowk," he lamented.