The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has issued a statement rejecting the “discussion and unhappiness” over the way Senate polls were conducted.

“It is a shocking matter that under the same staff in the same [election] under the same roof on the same day, [what they won] is acceptable and [what they lost] is unacceptable. Is this not [an] open contradiction?” questioned the commission.

A day earlier, Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan had criticised the election watchdog for allowing “foul play” in the elections for the upper house of the parliament.

RELATED STORIES

“The ECP rejects this,” Friday’s statement added. “This is democracy and free elections and the beauty of free elections which the entire nation saw and which is mandated by the Constitution.”

Every political party and politician should have the courage to accept its defeat, it said.

The electoral body said that if someone disagreed with the ECP’s results, they should come forward with evidence.

“We have neither come under pressure from anybody and neither will we [do so in the future].”

The ECP’s statement came after an urgent meeting was convened following the premier’s accusations.