In a startling revelation, a senior Pakistani bureaucrat tendered his resignation on Saturday, alleging the involvement of the chief election commissioner and the chief justice in poll-rigging during the recent election. Liaquat Ali Chattha, the former Rawalpindi Commissioner, asserted that he was taking responsibility for the election malpractices that occurred.
Chattha's remarks came amidst nationwide protests initiated by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, led by the incarcerated former Prime Minister, Imran Khan. The protests were in response to the alleged rigging and theft of PTI's mandate in the February 8 elections.
Addressing reporters at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Chattha claimed that candidates who were initially trailing in the elections were unfairly manipulated to emerge victorious. He was quoted by the Dawn newspaper as saying, "I am taking the responsibility for all this wrongdoing and telling you that the chief election commissioner and the chief justice are also completely involved in this."
Following his resignation, Chattha expressed remorse, stating, "Stabbing the country in its back does not let me sleep. I should be punished for the injustice I have done, and others who were involved in this injustice should also be punished." He revealed that the pressure was so intense that he contemplated suicide but ultimately decided to bring the matter to public attention.
Meanwhile, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) swiftly refuted Chattha's allegations against the chief election commissioner. In a press statement, the ECP clarified that no instructions were ever issued by the election commission regarding altering election results. However, it assured that the matter would be thoroughly investigated.
In response to Chattha's claims, Punjab caretaker Information Minister Amir Mir dismissed them, stating that Chattha had not presented any evidence of election result tampering. Mir suggested that Chattha might be attempting to launch a political career after his impending retirement on March 13.
Amidst these controversies, various political parties, including the PTI, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), and Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA), have lodged complaints of election rigging.
Independent candidates, many of whom were supported by the PTI, secured 93 out of the 265 National Assembly seats contested in the February 8 election. However, PTI's main rivals, the Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) led by Nawaz Sharif and the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) led by Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, are poised to form a coalition government after forming a post-poll alliance. The alliance, along with support from the Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan (MQM-P), holds a significant majority in the National Assembly, paving the way for the formation of the government.
