A security guard standing outside the Election Commission of Pakistan in Islamabad on September 21, 2023. Photo: AFP
PESHAWAR:
The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government has ordered an inquiry into alleged rigging in the NA-18 Haripur city election, accusing the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) of rigging the results.
Special Assistant to the Chief Minister for Information Shafi Jan made these allegations while addressing the media at the KP Assembly on Monday.
Shafi Jan claimed that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) had secured victory through public support, but their mandate was “stolen from within the Returning Officer’s (RO) office.” He claimed that all Form-45 documents were in PTI’s possession and reflected a lead of 32,000 to 35,000 votes in Haripur.
“The results were changed in Form-47 inside the RO office. At the last minute, the RO was replaced, PTI workers were forced out of the office and the office was virtually taken over,” he alleged.
He further announced that Chief Minister Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa had directed a comprehensive inquiry into the alleged irregularities. “From Class-IV employees to the Deputy Commissioner, every person who had a role will be probed. The district administration fulfilled its responsibility from the polling stations to the RO office, but the manipulation took place within the domain of the ECP,” he said.
Reacting to allegations by PML-N leader Ikhtiyar Wali, Shafi Jan said the chief minister would issue a defamation notice.
