ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) today (Tuesday) has directed Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) to submit its response in the suspected tampering of the NA-75 Daska by-election results by tomorrow.
A five-member commission, headed by the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja, heard the case related to by-polls held in NA-75 and its results on February 19.
The PTI’s legal counsel had asked for a week to submit ‘verified results and proof’. However, the CEC turned down the request. “If the election was fair, the results will be released. If it is not, then re-polling can be done,” he added.
The PML-N candidate’s lawyer, Salman Akram Raja, stated that an environment of “terror” was created in the constituency on polling day. He pointed out that 20 presiding officers suddenly vanished and ‘miraculously’ reappeared the next day.
“Re-polling should not only be done at those particular polling stations. We need to cast an eye on the election in the whole constituency,” he said, adding that this was a pre-planned “operation”.
The lawyer also presented a video of shot being fired outside a polling station in Daska. “PTI workers can be seen firing shots in the presence of the party’s candidate, Ali Asjad Malhi,” he added.
PML-N candidate Nousheen Iftikhar alleged that she was stopped and threatened to be killed by police. She said that the DSP was involved in worsening the situation who had not received the telephone call.
During the hearing, the returning office also submitted his report to the ECP. “There was a delay [in the results] for 20 polling stations,” he said, adding that 19 presiding officers could not be contacted.
“Did you try contacting them through the wireless?” asked the chief election commissioner. To this, the RO said that he had instructed the Daska DSP to do so but they were still unable to contact them.
