ISLAMABAD: Former additional secretary of the Election commission of Pakistan Muhammad Afzal Khan has alleged that the general elections in May 2013 were rigged and that the people's mandate was ‘stolen’.

He said that former chief justices Iftikhar Chaudhry and Tassadduq Jillani were also involved in rigging the vote.

Khan made the allegation during an interview on a private television channel, in which he said that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif did not win the elections in a free and fair manner.

He said during the interview that the Chief Election Commissioner Justice (retd) Fakhruddin G Ebrahim had shut his eyes on the rigging.

The former additional secretary said that the Election Commission had been put under tremendous pressure during the alleged rigging.

Khan said that judges were also involved in fixing the vote and that hearings of voter fraud was deliberately delayed.

Reacting to the interview, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf Chairman Imran khan commended Afzal Khan and said that the former additional secretary's remarks vindicates the stand that he has been taking.

Imran Khan said that Afzal Khan's statements show that the position for Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was untenable and again reiterated his demand that the premier resign.

Former Law Minister Rana Sanaullah dismissed Afzal Khan's remarks and said, "people like this are specially prepared for occasions such as this".

Sanaullah said that Imran Khan's protest movement has been a flop and that Afzal Khan like the PTI chief was being used as a pawn.

Opinion

Editorial

Electricity relief
Updated 05 Apr, 2025

Electricity relief

If govt ensures that requisite power reforms are implemented, it will earn much praise for reforming a vital segment of the economy.
Trump’s trade wars
Updated 05 Apr, 2025

Trump’s trade wars

Shoddy math applied by US to indiscriminately penalise its trading partners signals the end of an era of global trade liberalisation.
Legalised land grab
05 Apr, 2025

Legalised land grab

THE Modi government has passed a new bill targeting the Muslim community, this time eyeing swathes of priceless real...
More than words
Updated 04 Apr, 2025

More than words

Holistic development can only work when there is organic and credible political activity in the province.
Poor publicity
04 Apr, 2025

Poor publicity

FORTUNE does not seem to be favouring the PTI — at least not yet. With the party’s founder confined from public...
Party pooper
04 Apr, 2025

Party pooper

INDIA’s role of a spoilsport is tiresome. From pulling books from shelves, such as Wendy Doniger’s The Hindus: ...