ISLAMABAD: In an effort to “strengthen democracy” in the nation, the PTI has chosen to once more demonstrate in the streets against the purported theft of its mandate. It is calling on all democratic forces to band together with the previous ruling party.
At a press conference in Islamabad, PTI leader along with MNA-elect Sher Afzal Marwat made this announcement with other top party leaders and Balochistani candidates who have the support of the PTI. Apart from the demonstration, the news conference concentrated on “massive rigging” in Balochistan, which was purportedly responsible for the PTI candidates’ overnight losses from their victories.
Mr. Marwat announced that, per Imran Khan’s orders, the PTI would hold a nationwide nonviolent protest on March 2 and that he had been assigned the responsibility of spearheading a protest on Saturday morning in Islamabad. He claimed that Pakistani democracy will never prosper if the people did not speak out against the “mega polls theft.”
Regarding the state of affairs in Balochistan, the PTI leader stated that although the matter of election tampering in the region was brought before the ECP, it ultimately proved to be a fruitless endeavor.
Speaking at the event, PTI head
Ali Mohammad Khan claimed that widespread, particularly in Balochistan, “large-scale rigging” had violated the fundamental rights of Pakistani citizens. He emphasized that the people ought to be able to use their right to select a government.
He reassured that the PTI wanted the people mandate to be recognized and that they were not against any political party or institution.
It is a question of people’s mandate, not of personal vendettas. “Give it [government] to the ones who have the mandate if we want to save democracy in Pakistan,” he continued.
“We want the chief justice of Pakistan to look into the commissioner of Rawalpindi’s claims of widespread poll theft.”
In Balochistan, polling
Salar Khan Kakar, the leader of the PTI, claimed that significant election cheating was used to sell seats in Balochistan to “contractors, smugglers, and apolitical figures.”
Mr. Kakar claimed to have won easily in accordance with Form-45, but a PML-N candidate who was in seventh place was proclaimed the victor “fraudulently.” He said that after sitting outside the RO’s office all night, he was not allowed inside.
Ghafar Kakar, the PTI’s candidate for PB-41 in Quetta, claimed he received a letter warning him of the repercussions if he did not stop the campaign. He claimed that despite his intense campaigning in the run-up to the polls, his win was stolen.
Mr. Kakar asserted that paramilitary officials expelled him from the RO office after they reportedly tampered with election results to make him seem as the runner-up. Haji Noor Khan Khalji, the Quetta candidate for PB-39, reported that a sizable turnout supported Imran Khan.
He claimed, “We were contacted at night and told that they would not allow us to win if we would stay with Imran Khan.” He said that on February 8, he was winning by a wide margin, but on February 9, he was beaten by “they” through election results manipulation.
Saddam Tarin, the PTI’s candidate for NA-253, said that candidates supported by the PTI had Form-45s, which amply demonstrated their victories in a number of constituencies, including NA-253.
He claimed that at midnight, PTI’s mandate was taken. To regain the lost public mandate, the PTI candidates made it plain that “they were not going to give up and were prepared to render any sacrifice.”
Alam Khan, the PTI’s candidate for NA-252, claimed to have won the seat by a margin of 30,000 votes according to Form 45, however on Form 47, three days later, he was declared the loser by 2,000 votes.
“I received 52,000 votes, followed by 28,000 from the runner-up, but the winner received 22,000 votes and was ranked fourth.”
