Pakistan Election Commission forms committee to investigate Bureaucrat's rigging allegations

A top official in Pakistan has accused former Prime Minister Imran Khan's party of widespread cheating in the recent general elections. The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has formed a committee to investigate these allegations.

Liaquat Ali Chattha, a former commissioner from Rawalpindi, claimed that there was significant cheating in favor of Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party during the February 8 elections. He alleged that 13 candidates who were initially losing were declared winners forcefully in Rawalpindi.

Commissioner's resignation and investigation

Following his allegations, Chattha resigned from his position, taking responsibility for the manipulation of election results. The ECP rejected the accusations but formed a committee to probe the matter. The committee will interview relevant election officials and submit its report within three days.

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The PTI party began nationwide protests against the alleged rigging. However, newly-appointed Rawalpindi Commissioner Saif Anwar Jappa refuted Chattha's claims, stating that the commissioner's role in the elections was only for coordination. He assured the public of the fairness and transparency of the elections.

The unrest over the allegations led to disruptions in the social media platform X's service across Pakistan. NetBlocks, an internet tracking organization, reported the disruption due to escalating protests and a high-level resignation over vote manipulation.

Post-election landscape

Despite the controversy, independent candidates, many supported by PTI, won a significant number of seats in the National Assembly. The PTI's main rivals, including Nawaz Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) and Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari's Pakistan People's Party (PPP), formed a post-election alliance. However, PML-N leader Marriyum Aurangzeb criticized Chattha for making allegations without evidence and questioned the timing of his revelations.

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In summary, the accusations of election rigging in Pakistan have sparked investigations and political tensions, affecting the post-election landscape and leading to disruptions in social media services.