Pakistan: Opposition party urges Election Commission to take 'punitive action' against those involved in election rigging
Mar 02, 2022
Islamabad [Pakistan], March 2 : Opposition Party in Pakistan has urged the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to 'take punitive action' against those involved in 'glaring theft' in the 2018 general elections.
The Opposition party Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) on Tuesday handed over a report on the alleged rigging in the 2018 general elections to the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC).
The report was prepared by the party some two and a half years ago. A three-member PPP delegation comprising Taj Haider, Farhatullah Babar and Nayyar Hussain Bokhari handed over the 'Rigging Report' to CEC Sikandar Sultan Raja, reported Dawn.
Along with the report, there was a letter attached describing "the pre-poll, polling day and the post-poll rigging." "Sir, crimes once committed are never time-barred and in the background of the punitive actions that the ECP has already taken against violations of Elections Act 2017, we look forward to furthering punitive actions on the theft of general election 2018," read the letter.
"Unfortunately, the polling staff appointed by the ECP miserably failed to stop these crimes. It is also possible that some of the appointed staff became partners in these crimes," it stated.
Earlier, Last year in December, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari expressed his resentment over Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) resorting to violence and rigging to undermine ongoing local government elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).
Bilawal called on the ECP to take action against the rigging and ensure free and fair elections.
He also urged the people of KP to come in large numbers to use their right to vote instead of getting dissuaded by "PTI's tactics", and requested the PPP workers to report violations to the party's election cells or directly to the ECP.
