Claim, counter-claim by govt, PTI about recount for NA-122

Published January 4, 2015
PTI Information Secretary Dr Shireen Mazari (L) and  Federal Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid (R) — INP/file
PTI Information Secretary Dr Shireen Mazari (L) and Federal Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid (R) — INP/file

ISLAMABAD: Federal Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid has claimed that victory margin of National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq has ‘increased’ after a vote recount in Lahore’s NA-122 constituency.

Making a counter-claim, the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) said that ‘polling fraud has been exposed’ after the vote recount, and urged the National Assembly to ‘prepare resignation’ of the speaker.

“The cumulative lead of Ayaz Sadiq over Imran Khan has increased by 134 votes,” the minister said while talking to Dawn on Saturday.

Read: NA-122 poll record inspection ‘improves Sadiq’s margin’

Reacting to allegations levelled by PTI chief that some 30,000 bogus votes had been found in the polling bags during the scrutiny of votes, he advised Imran Khan to wait for the official verdict of the election tribunal which, according to him, was expected to come within a week.

Mr Rashid said bogus votes, if found, were not counted as per parameters agreed to by the representatives of candidates before the vote recount.

Also read: 30,000 bogus votes detected, says Imran

Mr Khan had repeatedly said that rigging would be exposed once the polling bags were opened, he said. “But nothing has come out after opening of the bags.” He claimed that the recount result had disappointed the PTI, which had been levelling allegations of rigging in general elections.

Meanwhile, PTI Information Secretary Dr Shireen Mazari in a statement asked the PML-N to “stop propaganda about the victory of Ayaz Sadiq in the vote recount” and urged him to resign from the office and the assembly.

Published in Dawn, January 4th, 2015

On a mobile phone? Get the Dawn Mobile App: Apple Store | Google Play

Opinion

Editorial

Smog hazard
Updated 05 Nov, 2024

Smog hazard

The catastrophe unfolding in Lahore is a product of authorities’ repeated failure to recognise environmental impact of rapid urbanisation.
Monetary policy
05 Nov, 2024

Monetary policy

IN an aggressive move, the State Bank on Monday reduced its key policy rate by a hefty 250bps to 15pc. This is the...
Cultural power
05 Nov, 2024

Cultural power

AS vital modes of communication, art and culture have the power to overcome social and international barriers....
Disregarding CCI
Updated 04 Nov, 2024

Disregarding CCI

The failure to regularly convene CCI meetings means that the process of democratic decision-making is falling apart.
Defeating TB
04 Nov, 2024

Defeating TB

CONSIDERING the fact that Pakistan has the fifth highest burden of tuberculosis in the world as per the World Health...
Ceasefire charade
Updated 04 Nov, 2024

Ceasefire charade

The US talks of peace, while simultaneously arming and funding their Israeli allies, are doomed to fail, and are little more than a charade.