Live: Elections 2024

PPP leader Sharjeel Memon has doubted outgoing Rawalpindi Commissioner Liaquat Ali Chatha’s claim regarding his involvement in alleged manipulation of election results, claiming that a commissioner plays no role during the electoral process.

Talking to Geo News today, the former Sindh information minister said: “From what I know, returning officers were assistant commissioners and DROs were deputy commissioners. The commissioner has no role. If he says that he was involved in rigging, I don’t understand it.”

Memon also claimed that the commissioner may have political aspirations, which may have necessitated the statement. “Maybe he wants to join a political party after that,” the PPP leader said.

PTI lawyer Hamid Khan has called for a nationwide judicial inquiry into the Rawalpindi commissioner’s revelations about the manipulation of election results.

Speaking to Geo News today, Khan said the commissioner’s revelations confirmed the rigging allegations allegedly carried out during the Feb 8 polls.

“Importance should be given to this,” he added. “Now that an important person from the government machinery is saying this, it provides confirmation.”

The PTI leader also hinted that he thinks the conscience of other officers would also force them to speak up after the Rawalpindi commissioner’s revelations.

PTI leader Hamid Khan has said that importance should be given to the statement given by the Rawalpindi Commissioner Liaquat Ali Chatha given that everyone already knows rigging has taken place.

“If someone from the government’s machinery [says so], that is a confirmation of it,” Khan said, adding that he thinks other people will come out accordingly.

“Such historic rigging, there were attempts to compare it to the 2018 elections, which also had some attempts of rigging, but there is no precedent for such rigging in our history,” he said.

He said it is “ridiculous” to assert that the commissioner does not have a role when it comes to the elections.

“The reason for it is the Deputy Commissioner, who is the DRO, so how come the DRO’s boss does not have a role,” he said.

PTI leader Hammad Azhar has called on political workers and people from Punjab to reach the location provided earlier to carry out the protests organised by the party.

In a post on X, Azhar said that people should come and protest as per the instructions of the party founder Imran Khan, whether the police were there or not to stop the protests.

PML-N, in a post on X, has said that “political allegiance” dictated Rawalpindi Commissioner Liaquat Ali Chatha’s claims of polling rigging, adding that the bureaucrat was the cousin of a PTI-backed candidate for the MNA seat, Ahmed Chatha.

While talking to Geo News, PTI leader Ali Muhammad Khan appreciated Rawalpindi Commissioner, Liaquat Ali Chatha, for coming forward regarding the alleged polling rigging, adding that the commissioner proved that the bureaucracy’s conscience was “still alive” by coming forward.

He went on to say it was time for the chief justice to take notice of their “stolen mandate” and for the chief election commissioner (CEC) to “correct” his mistake by helping them get their mandate back. He alleged that more than 170 seats were taken from PTI through poll rigging.

The core committee of the Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) has refused to accept the resignation of party emir Sirajul Haq from his party office.

In a post on X, the party said that a committee was formed — comprising Liaquat Baloch, Muhammad Ibrahim, Rashid Naseem and Ameerul Azim — that met Siraj and informed him of the party’s opinion.

It further requested the JI emir to withdraw his resignation and resume his role as the party chief, which he accepted.

PML-N Punjab president Rana Sanaullah Khan has said that Rawalpindi Commissioner Liaquat Ali Chatha, who he described as a “friend”, has had mental health issues for “quite some time”.

“I think that in that regard there was some treatment underway,” Sanaullah said while speaking to Geo News.

He said that the punishment for rigging an election does not amount to a death sentence as stated by the commissioner.

“He says that he should be hanged at a chowk when there is no such law or provision of hanging people in Pakistan,” he said.

The PTI has said that its leader Advocate Salman Akram Raja, who contested the polls as an independent candidate backed by the party in Lahore’s NA-128 constituency, has been arrested in Lahore.

It termed the act “extremely shameful and disgusting”, calling for his immediate release.

The party also shared a video on its official X account of the Punjab police taking the lawyer into custody.

“They are arresting me unlawfully. I am with the public and we will continue to raise my voice for the truth,” he told reporters while being whisked away by the police.

Caretaker Punjab Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi has ordered an “impartial probe” into allegations of manipulation of poll results made by Rawalpindi Commissioner Liaquat Ali Chatha.

Taking notice of the claims in a statement, he directed that a “high-level committee” be constituted to conduct an inquiry into the matter.

“An independent inquiry of the allegations will be held,” CM Naqvi asserted, adding that the facts will be brought forward.

Here’s the full text of the ECP’s rejection of Liaquat Chatha’s claims.

Full text of the statement:

“The Election Commission of Pakistan strongly rejects the allegations levelled by the Commissioner Rawalpindi on the chief election commissioner or the election commission and no official of the election commission never issued any instructions regarding changing the election results to the Commissioner Rawalpindi. Neither is the commissioner of any division ever appointed as a DRO, RO or presiding officer, nor do they ever play a direct role in the conduct of elections. However, the election commission will conduct an inquiry into the matter as soon as possible.”

Rawalpindi Senior Superintendent of Police (operations) Kamran Asghar has told Dawn.com that city commissioner Liaquat Ali Chatha has not been arrested yet after media reports said he had been taken into custody.

“How can we arrest someone till a case has been filed against them?” he asked.

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has said that it strongly rejects the allegations made by the Rawalpindi Commissioner against the chief election commissioner.

In a press statement, it added, “No official of the commission gave any instruction to the Rawalpindi commissioner for change in the election results.”

It said the matter would be investigated.

Responding to the claims of manipulation of election results made by Rawalpindi Commissioner Liaquat Ali Chatha, Punjab Information Minister Amir Mir has questioned why the former did not come clean about them on election day.

Speaking to Geo News, he said Chattha was making “irresponsible claims”.

“If he was forced, why did he not come forward on election day? Why did he come clean after election day?” he asked.

“There was some political affiliation of his own or plans and designs that did not happen so he is taking his anger out by blaming the government and elections,” the provincial info minister alleged.

Mir further said a probe into Chatha’s mental health was needed, stating that the commissioner had called for himself to be severely punished.

Punjab caretaker Information Minister Amir Mir has “rejected” the claims of manipulation of election results made by Rawalpindi Commissioner Liaquat Ali Chatha.

Speaking to Geo News, he said that Chatha had “not shown any proof” of the alleged tampering of poll results.

Noting that the commissioner was retiring on March 13, Mir said, “I imagine he’s trying to kick start his political career after he retires.”

Rawalpindi Commissioner Liaquat Ali Chatha has said that “stabbing the country in its back does not let” him sleep.

“I should be punished for the injustice I have done and others who were involved in this injustice should also be punished,” he told reporters in Rawalpindi.

Rawalpindi Commissioner Liaquat Ali Chatha has said that “independent candidates who were winning” the election were made to lose.

When asked by reporters in Rawalpindi if there were “irregularities” in the electoral process and if the local returning officers had delayed the transmission of results, Chatha said that irregularities was a “small term” for it.

“We made to lose the independent candidates who were winning [the election] with a lead of 70,000-80,000 votes by putting on fake stamps,” he added.

“There is no pressure on me,” the commissioner said, adding that he “could not become a part of breaking this country”.

Rawalpindi Commissioner Liaquat Ali Chatha has resigned from his office after claiming that the results of the February 8 elections were manipulated.

Speaking to reporters at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, he said there was “pressure” on him to the extent that he contemplated suicide today but then resolved to present matters before the public.

“It is my request to the entire bureaucracy to not do anything wrong for all these politicians,” he added.

Rawalpindi Commissioner Liaquat Ali Chatha has claimed that the candidates who were “losing” the elections “were made to win” and has “taken responsibility for all the wrongdoing” in the alleged poll-rigging.

“I am taking the responsibilty for all this wrongdoing and telling you that the chief election commissioner and the chief justice are also completely involved in this,” he told reporters in Rawalpindi.

PTI leader Taimur Saleem Jhagra has asserted that his party will “fight for justice tooth and nail”, referring to the party’s planned protests against alleged rigging in the general elections.

“However, this is also the ultimate badge of honour. To be singled out in the province is the ultimate proof of zero compromise on principle,” he said in a post on X.

The police in the federal capital have warned the public to avoid any “illegal activity” as it reminded them that section 144 was in force in Islamabad. The measure prevents gatherings and is coinciding with PTI’s protest call over what they say are rigged elections.

PTI leader Ali Muhammad Khan has said that jailed leader Imran Khan has told the party members “clearly” about which political parties they can join to salvage “the special and minority seats of the party” in the NA.

He said that the former premier had given the instructions during a meeting he held at the Adiala jail, without specifying who else attended the meeting.

Ali further said Imran had issued directives to save the party’s elected MNAs and MPAs from the “hideous game of buying and selling”.

He added that Imran also “strictly ordered” intra-party elections as soon as possible so that PTI-backed independents can finally have a party again. He reiterated that “joining any party” would be a “temporary arrangement”.

PTI Secretary General Omar Ayub has claimed there is “news” about the “deteriorating health” of ex-PM Imran Khan’s wife Bushra Bibi, which he said was allegedly due to the “food being prepared for her”.

“This is extremely serious. Adiala jail authorities and the government will be held responsible,” he said in a post on X.

The PTI leader, recently nominated by his party for the coveted role of the prime minister, saluted Bushra Bibi’s “dignity and patience”.

PTI’s X account posted a video of what it said were marchers who had respondend to Imran Khan’s call for a protest.

PML-N’s Jam Kamal has said that all the political forces should lead the country towards improvement through political flexibility, Radio Pakistan reports.

In an interview, he said the general elections were conducted to steer the economy in the proper direction through political stability.

Kamal added that political dynamics are changing rapidly, instead of political rivalries all parties should work for the betterment of commoners.

The Islamabad police have said that section 144 is in force in the city and the security is on “high alert”, as the PTI is set to begin its countrywide protests.

Without directly referring to any scheduled protests, it said that there could be increased traffic near the F9 park and urged the public to avoid “unnecessary travel” on the nearby routes.

The police said that special forces of the Counter Terrorism Department had been deployed on patrol to deal with any emergency.

“Patrolling has been increased across the district while checking has been tightened at checkpoints,” it added.

The PTI has announced the locations in southern Punjab where it will hold protests against alleged poll-rigging.