Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) senior leader and Secretary General of Tehreek-e-Tahaffuz-e-Aeen-e-Pakistan, Asad Qaiser, said that the Election Commission’s handling of the NA-18 Haripur by-election reflects “open rigging” and has once again exposed its “dark face” before the nation.
He said that according to Form-45 results, PTI candidate Sheher Naz Omar Ayub Khan was leading by a clear margin of 27,000 votes, but the Election Commission undermined the public mandate “under the cover of darkness,” raising serious questions about the transparency and credibility of the electoral process.
He said the commission had failed on both administrative and operational fronts, adding that if such conduct represents the standard of elections, it would have been better to issue direct notifications rather than mislead the public.
Mr. Asad Qaiser said that PTI, on the directives of Imran Khan, formally boycotted the by-elections. He said that reports indicated that voter turnout in the contested constituencies remained between 15 and 18 percent, while over 80 percent of citizens rejected the polls, opting to stay home.
He called the elections unrepresentative and demanded that the non-transparent results be annulled immediately. “The fundamental purpose of elections is to allow citizens to freely choose their leadership. Unfortunately, the present government and its subordinate Election Commission have failed to provide such an environment,” he said.
Mr. Asad Qaiser further said that practices of “abductions, arrests, intimidation, restrictions on campaigning, voter manipulation, and tampering with Form-47 are routine for the Election Commission.” He called for the establishment of a new, independent, and credible Election Commission capable of restoring public trust. In conclusion, he urged the lifting of all unconstitutional restrictions on political activity in Pakistan, stressing the public’s right to freely participate in the political process and decide the country’s future.
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