Pakistan by-poll result might be rigged: Election body

The Election Commission of Pakistan has said it suspects that the vote count at 20 polling stations in the by-election in Daska constituency might have been rigged.

Lahore [Pakistan]: Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz has said that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) suspecting the validity of by-election results of the NA-75 (Daska) constituency is a "charge sheet" against Prime Minister Imran Khan-led government.

As the Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf had announced that it had won the election. The ECP had said that it suspected that the results of 20 polling stations had been falsified in the by-election for the NA-75 (Daska) constituency, the Dawn reported.

"Where was the chief minister, the chief secretary, the police, the IG and the administration," she questioned. While speaking to reporters in Lahore on Saturday, Maryam said, "There was firing, polling was slowed, people were killed and bags of votes were stolen. The ECP was looking for you, where was the Punjab government".

She further said that she "happy that the ECP was carrying out its constitutional and legal duty".

The commission opined that the result of the election in the constituency was received with "unnecessary delay" despite contacting the presiding officials several times.

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Later, the Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf had announced that it had won the election. Dawn further quoted Maryam as saying that the PTI rigged the Daska and Wazirabad by-polls because it knew that the PML-N would win by an "overwhelming majority".

"Their camps were empty. When they went into the field they must have seen the turnout at their own camps [...] which would have made them anxious with worry," she said.

She further said that the PTI had resorted to firing to create an environment of fear" to stop the PML-N supporters from casting their votes.

"There is a video that shows a PTI MNA standing beside those firing shots. Their candidate and their people opened fire in markets and streets which claimed the lives of two citizens," she highlighted.

On Friday, the PML-N vice president had said that her workers caught a man who allegedly stole a bag of votes from a polling station in the by-elections for Punjab's PP-51 (Wazirabad) constituency. The PML-N leader termed it as "naked rigging", reported Dawn.

"PTI people caught red-handed stealing bagfuls of votes by PML-N MPA Adil Chatta and Ataa Tarar. Seal was also broken. Police was a part of the plan to steal votes for PTI," tweeted Maryam.

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She also shared a number of what she called "bombshell videos" showing PML-N workers accosting a man who allegedly stole a bag of votes from a polling station.

Historically speaking, election rigging in Pakistan has occurred at multiple levels, with the connivance of state institutions, the establishment, polling officers and, of course, political parties and candidates.

Imran Khan's government win in 2018 is also alleged to be poll-rigged by the 11-party opposition Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM).

ANI REPORT