PTI claims intelligence agencies rigged by-polls, announce protest

After the recently held by-elections on Sunday, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders alleged that intelligence agencies were involved in rigging polls.

The party termed April 21 as a “black day” in the history of Pakistan while urging the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to withhold the notifications of results.

Announcing a series of protests starting from Friday, the PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Khan, addressing a press conference, said, “[The] day of election is considered an accountability day, and people cast their votes with great zeal. However, on April 21, open and blatant violations of law were observed. The magnitude of the rigging and violation of law has never been observed in the history of Pakistan. Gates of polling stations were closed, and at some polling stations, more votes were polled than the total registered votes.”

The PTI Chairman, accompanied by other senior members of the party, stated that in one polling station in Gujrat, only 120 votes were cast but three boxes of ballot papers were seen.

PTI’s Omar Ayub said that pre-poll rigging began with the suspension of the internet. He also showed a letter from the RO of NA-8 Bajaur to the DRO, claiming that the RO alleged that an intelligence official had beaten the staff.

“We will start protests, along with other parties, next Friday across the country,” said Ayub.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) won a majority of seats in by-polls held on nearly two dozen national and provincial seats on Sunday.