ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Friday urged the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) and Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) to probe allegations of vote fraud during the recently held elections.
Making a video-link address to thousands of PTI protestors here at D-Chowk, Imran Khan said that voters who had turned in record numbers in the polls, had staged sit-ins in different parts of the country as their mandate had been stolen.
Imran Khan appealed to the Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry to order a thorough probe into poll rigging allegations to save the democratic process in the country.
“Since the returning officers were working under your control, this is your responsibility to probe the allegations. This election is being termed as RO's election.
"This has never happened in the history of Pakistan that ROs were blamed. If such ROs who were involved in rigging are not punished, who would take part in the next elections,” he argued.
He said it was not only the PTI which was crying foul but all political parties were leveling allegations of massive vote fraud and all wanted a fair probe into the allegations.
“We are sure you would investigate the matter for the sake of future of Pakistan. This would help to make future polls transparent. The ECP should also take action,” he said while addressing the CJP.
Reminding of the PTI's contribution during the judges movement, Imran Khan said that his party workers had struggled for the restoration of the sacked judges.
“We did not came on roads for individuals. We wanted to strengthen the institutions. Probe into poll fraud would help save Pakistan. The voters who had come to vote are holding spontaneous protests,” he asserted.
Khan said that he wanted thumb-impression rechecking in only four constituencies as a litmus test to evaluate the rigging allegations and to set the polling process straight.
Despite scorching heatwave across Punjab Province, PTI workers gathered at D-Chowk in thousands to protest against the alleged rigging on various constituencies in general elections and demanded recounting of votes by matching thumb expression.
Thousands of the party's workers including a large number of youth were waving PTI flags and were carrying placards inscribed with the slogans condemning rigging in elections and snatching genuine mandate given to PTI by the voters.
On this occasion, special poems were recited by the party workers, praising the leadership qualities of Chairman PTI Imran Khan. They also criticised the Election Commission for alleged rigging in elections.
The enthusiastic youth were dancing to the tune of party songs and raised slogans in support of the party's leadership.
PTI leaders including Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Shafqat Mahmood, Jahangir Tareen, Ijaz Chaudhry, Dr Yasmin Rashid, Khurshid Mahmood Kasuri, Ishaq Khakwani, Amin Aslam, Malik Sohail Kamriyal, Dr Wasim Shehzad and others also addressed the gathering.
