Imran alleges pre-poll rigging, seeks CJ’s intervention

Chairman Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf, Imran Khan, on Tuesday urged Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry to take notice of the pre-poll rigging in PF-75 by-election scheduled for today (Wednesday), alleging that government machinery was being misused in favour of JUI-F candidate.The PTI Chairman alleged that Government thorough officials of education, health and police departments had enacted massive pre-poll rigging in the aforementioned constituency and huge development funds were disbursed in favour of the JUI-F candidate. He regretted that the Election Commission was playing the role of a silent spectator and taking any action against the misuse of government machinery and development funds.

Imran said that without an independent Election Commission, the dividends obtained from the independence of judiciary would not reach out to the masses.He said that only an independent election commission could hold free, fair and transparent elections and can help usher in true democracy in the country. He further said that all the contesting political parties in Gilgit-Baltistan, Mansehra and Swat by-elections had levelled pre-poll and polling-day rigging allegations on part of the Government, but he regretted that no action was taken by the Election Commission to redress the grievances of the aggrieved candidates.

He urged the Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry to ensure independence of Election Commission and take immediate notice of blatant rigging in PF-75, Lakki Marwat.