Ex-PM claims Punjab Police intervened in elections due to rulers\u2019 fears of a Feb 8-like outcome
\nIslamabad
\nFormer prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan asserted on Tuesday that premeditated rigging marred the by-polls in Punjab, accusing the Punjab Police of indulging in rigging. As opposed to the shocking victory of the opposition in the general elections, the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) had smooth sailing in the recently held by-elections.
\nUnofficial results showed that the ruling party secured majority of seats of the national and provincial assemblies contested on Sunday.
\n\u201cDemocracy hinges on the supremacy of law and the conduct of free and fair elections, yet what we witnessed was jungle law. The interference of the police in the Punjab by-elections is deeply concerning,\u201d he remarked during a media interaction at Rawalpindi\u2019s Adiala Jail.
\nImran highlighted that by-polls were also conducted in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, where the PTI-backed Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) is ruling, affirming that no instances of rigging transpired in the province.
\n\u201cThere exists no semblance of democracy in the nation presently. The rigging was a preemptive move, driven by fear of the events that unfolded on February 8. The postponement of the [general] elections from October to February was a deliberate tactic to suppress the PTI. Even our petition in the Supreme Court remained unheard, as it awaited the demise of the PTI,\u201d he elaborated. Imran lamented that myriad tactics were deployed ahead of the general elections to besmirch the reputation of the PTI, resulting in the conversion of a majority vote into a minority.
\nThe former prime minister deplored the lack of constitutional governance within the country, asserting that only the influential wield power.
\n\u201cThe absence of security for overseas Pakistanis impedes investment in the nation. Transparent elections are the cornerstone of a stable government, a quintessential element of democracy,\u201d he reiterated.
\nImran voiced concern that the existing governmental framework jeopardises Pakistan\u2019s future, underlining the imperative of transparent and accountable governance.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Ex-PM claims Punjab Police intervened in elections due to rulers\u2019 fears of a Feb 8-like outcome Islamabad Former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan asserted on Tuesday that premeditated rigging marred the by-polls in Punjab, accusing the Punjab Police of indulging in rigging. As opposed to the shocking victory of the opposition […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":381399,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-402211","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-top-news"},"yoast_head":"\n