I'm being punished for Returning Officers' failure: Saad Rafique
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LAHORE: Deflecting all charges, Khawaja Saad Rafique said Monday that an election tribunal's decision to order re-election in NA-125 constituency was against the presiding and residing officers of the constituency, and that runner-up PTI candidate Hamid Khan had "failed" to prove rigging.
The PML-N leader was holding a press conference soon after an election tribunal in Lahore ordered re-election in NA-125 constituency which was won by Rafique during the May 2013 general election.
The Tribunal's one-page verdict said that ballot bags had been opened with a sharp object and records had been tampered with. It also found that on average, each person had cast six votes each.
A visibly relaxed Rafique refused to acknowledge the tribunal's rigging verdict, instead picking on a technicality in the judge's decision.
"The tribunal's decision proves that there was no rigging. Even though the judge could have said that rigging had taken place, he did not explicitly mention it," Rafique asserted.
He added that the tribunal judge's decision may result in the disqualification of the Residing Officer(s) involved.
"If Returning Officers are to be blamed for malpractice, then why am I and my voters being punished?" he lamented.
Hamid Khan's lawyer had also contended that Rafique paid one of the residing officers Rs20 million to rig the elections, to which the PML-N leader responded: "I don't want to start a blame-game but Imran Khan says a lot of lies. So, if Hamid Khan lies once, I shouldn't mind".
Rafique said the decision to approach the Supreme Court with regards to challenging the tribunal's verdict was something he could not take without consulting party members. He added that he was ready to contest the elections again.
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif declared the verdict a blow for the government and said the matter would be taken to the Supreme Court.
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On DawnNews
Comments (121) Closed
May 04, 2015 04:16pm
We know you did it! we know you wont admit it...
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May 04, 2015 04:17pm
Let the judiciary take its course
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May 04, 2015 04:18pm
you can't hide the truth now. rigged govt!!!
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May 04, 2015 04:18pm
Not to worry Khawaja Sb the victory is going to be for PML(N) again. They need the remember the victory margin was 40000.
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May 04, 2015 04:19pm
no matter who made the irregularities, u should leave the seat and try to be reelected
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May 04, 2015 04:22pm
Even a single vote, Khawaja Sb you should stand against it long back. Now you are claiming seven polling stations only.
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May 04, 2015 04:22pm
He should contest again & win this seat....
Going to appeal will not help
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May 04, 2015 04:25pm
He's got this mixed up! It's not you who is being punished, its the Pakistan nation that have endured punishment via your active contribution in rigging and compromising the mandate chosen by the people of the nation!
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May 04, 2015 04:25pm
No need to blame the returning officers. Sir jee, you are disqualified.
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May 04, 2015 04:26pm
And i think i was lucky if presiding and residing officers let the bogus votes cast in my favor !!!
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May 04, 2015 04:26pm
As promised you should say bye bye to politics after this humiliating defeat.
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May 04, 2015 04:26pm
Mr. Saad why returning officers wants to you win. according to this because returning officers you win the election isn't it.
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May 04, 2015 04:29pm
One gets punished only for one's own deeds!
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May 04, 2015 04:37pm
Oh Wow! Looks like the Residing Officer loved Mr Rafique so much that he was willing to risk his reputation and career and tamper the result without any orders from his superiors.
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May 04, 2015 04:39pm
One can steal a thousand times and get away with it.
But getting caught once is the end of the game. VACATION order has been served. Now please comply.
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May 04, 2015 04:44pm
What the difference whether it saad rafique or hamid khan..Pal It is enough that the people know there was an election. The people who cast the votes decide nothing. The people who count the votes or hook or by crook decide everything.
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May 04, 2015 04:48pm
Same Tribunal ordered re-polling in NA 125 which IK rejected as biased. Now Khawaja Saad Rafique will win by an even bigger margin. Another humiliation for PTI is awaited in NA 125 after NA 246
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May 04, 2015 04:54pm
This is so funny. The Tribunal says that single voters had cast 6 votes each and this ex-MNA says the word "rigging" was not mentioned in the judgement. Are these people for real?
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May 04, 2015 04:57pm
Please don't punish the poor man for someone else mistake, spare him, let PTI nominee rule for half the term and Mr. Sad Saad for the remaining tenure.
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May 04, 2015 04:59pm
How about those video clips in which Khawaja Saad was seen bringing in stuffed ballot boxes and then on the second round he was stopped by law enforcement folks. And he accuses polling staff. Yeah sure!
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May 04, 2015 05:02pm
Majority of people acting in Pakistan as political experts have no idea who khawaja Saad Rafique is. His family and father has sacrificed loves for Pakistan and democracy in Pakistan. I am sure he will win that halwa with even a bigger margin now!
Ps: khawaja Saad Rafique is the same man who Imran Khan begged to Join pti.
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May 04, 2015 05:03pm
So, returning officers are responsible for casting an average of six votes for one person? Next time when you try to rig elections, use some common sense.
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May 04, 2015 05:04pm
Real slap on PML N will be if he looses the by-election, but what if he wins again? This is Pakistan guys, expect anything.
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May 04, 2015 05:05pm
legitimacy of the elections was under question. its now proved that elections werent fair. whether you win or lose again is another matter Mr rafique
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May 04, 2015 05:06pm
PTI will lose this seat, don't really know what was achieved out of all this? If the tribunal says the votes were bogus, and in the re-election, the results are the same, what has been gained? PTI wasting time.........
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May 04, 2015 05:07pm
You are being reprimanded for playing foul my friend!
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May 04, 2015 05:12pm
In any graceful country, the politician would've accepted the court's decision and moved on but alas it's Saad Rafique.. On a separate note, your voters are not being punished. If they really believe you are the right guy, they will go and vote for you again.
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May 04, 2015 05:14pm
@Malveros sorry if didnt understand the verdict. On average every voter casted 6 votes. It means the 40000 margin is "doubtful"... plz read the news first/
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May 04, 2015 05:15pm
probably Returning officers like your name so they rigged it in your favor..
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May 04, 2015 05:15pm
@Malveros Your blind optimism is misplaced. If the article says that each person voted about 6 times, that means Saad Rafique's votes could be divided up to six times bringing him down to possibly only around 20,000 votes. And I'm saying only Saad Rafique's votes will be divided because let's be honest....
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May 04, 2015 05:19pm
Never accepting things. This is becoming fundamental rule of our leaders. Never accept and say OK, let do the correct thing. How we expect citizen to become truthful, humble and respectful if leader are not making any example.
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May 04, 2015 05:23pm
Tribunals are independent... You have a chance to come out clean... PTI is nto as strong as it was 2 years back (as at least suggested by Cantt Polls)... Re-elections will be tough for either side...
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May 04, 2015 05:27pm
Saad Rafiq ! you are trying to blame RO for election rigging. Why would he do this without your support? This is no less than a slap on your face. Shame on you. If you have a bit of moral values remaining, please prove it.
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May 04, 2015 05:29pm
I know you will win again! No worries!
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May 04, 2015 05:31pm
what about 2 years, he enjoyed as minister? justice delayed means no justice.
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May 04, 2015 05:34pm
The question is why returning officers failed? If they failed because Saad Rafiq asked them to fail then Saad Rafiq and ROs should be punished. If they failed because they were incompetent then an inquiry should take place why ECP appointed them. Is it probably because PMLN pressurized ECP to put such incompetents in charge so that they could have open field for rigging or does it involve Iftikhar Chaudhary and Najam Sethi pleasing PMLN? Now that the wrongdoings have been proved we as citizens of Pakistan deserve to know the answers to these questions.
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May 04, 2015 05:36pm
@Malveros They need to remember that they won through cheating-cheating which won't be allowed again.
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May 04, 2015 05:38pm
And by the way instead of issuing comments which don't make sense it would be wise for him to resign as Railway Minister. We may have had a person as Railway Minister for two years who didn't win election but not any more. Show some self respect.
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May 04, 2015 05:41pm
The state should recover whatever he has drawn as a member and minister as he proved to be illegitimate MNA and Minister.
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May 04, 2015 05:41pm
A loss for Said Rafiq which was imminent in 2013 elections would have been less embarrassing than being exposed and deseated through wrongdoings in election.
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May 04, 2015 05:43pm
Khawaja sb let yourself get re-elected....let it be another lesson to PTI rhetoric and rants
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May 04, 2015 05:47pm
@Ghazanfer If Saad Rafiq won through bogus votes then it means he wasn't winning fairly. What has he done in the last two years apart from disrespecting IK and doing no worthy work for the Railways which would warrant him victory. In fact people would now know how he won and even his delusional supporters would have gotten the reality check. His popularity is only going to go down and PTI's would only go up as they proved their point. I think PTI would win this seat but they would have to campaign well and ensure that no rigging takes place this time as the PMLN has the government machinery.
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May 04, 2015 05:48pm
@Ghazanfer when people are un able to discriminate b/w right n wrong then they are literally dead...i am a bit afraid for urself..
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May 04, 2015 05:49pm
Mr. Saad, please return the money and time to our nation for the last two years which you enjoyed and spent as a elected representative and Railway minister. All your orders, appointments, contracts etc. must be nullified and reversed as you were not eligible to take such actions.
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May 04, 2015 05:51pm
Yup returning officers have special love affair with PML(N). They made them the winner out of thin air. If there wasn't any collusion then why doesn't Punjab and Federal government put these Returning officers behind the bars?
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May 04, 2015 05:51pm
The RO only did what you had directed them to do - to rig!!
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May 04, 2015 05:54pm
@Talha
U need to get off your high horse and get prepared for another disgraceful defeat for PTI. Lahore Cantonment elections have already proven which way the vote will go and that will be towards PML(N) again. A previous victory margin of 40000 will be impossible for PTI to catch up to.
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May 04, 2015 05:57pm
No Saad, you are only facing some consequences of your actions. If you wre honest , upright and courageous, you would welcome free and fair re-voting to win the seat again. But you are neither of those things, hence you will try to appeal and cry foul.
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May 04, 2015 06:00pm
Re-election does not seem to be appropriate solution over the disputed seat unless those involved in the rigging are indicted and tried in a court of law to deter
all and sundry from repetition of this disgusting stealing of electoral mandate.
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May 04, 2015 06:03pm
@Faraz
Seems u really have no clue. 280 bogus votes is meaningless and will have no bearing on the result. It will be PML(N)'s seat again.
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May 04, 2015 06:09pm
For the betterment of the county their needs to be re-elections .
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May 04, 2015 06:10pm
@I
It is a single person who voted 6 times so u need to read the news again. 280 bogus votes will not make a dent in the final result. By the way the bogus votes are from the polling stations where Hamid Khan won. Sorry but a victory margin of 40000 can never be covered by PTI in re-election. The final nail in the PTI coffin was delivered in the Lahore Cantonment Elections by PML(N).
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May 04, 2015 06:13pm
If you are a legislature Mr Saad and took oath to uphold laws of your land, then why are you not accepting the judgement? Is NADRA lying where one person voted 6 times in your favour? Isn't that enough? You should be banned from running for office(.)
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May 04, 2015 06:19pm
Saad Rafique says that Mr.Hamid Khan failed to prove rigging in his constituency NA 125 in the elections held in 2013,the verdict says that the election bags were opened with a sharp object, and each person had cast least 6 times, Isn't that enough to establish what is rigging ?
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May 04, 2015 06:21pm
@shahid sir there is a problem of load shedding in Pakistan which will surely effect any election in coming 2 Months, so i think to gain time they should go for appeal or i doubt people will vote anybody while bearing 10-12 hrs of load shedding.
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May 04, 2015 06:25pm
As always Saad Rafique knows he is wrong but like a jerk he won't accept his mistake.
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May 04, 2015 06:28pm
@Malveros 280 bogus votes are not from all the votes, they are from 1,254 votes checked. This is already 20%.
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May 04, 2015 06:28pm
Is there anyone in Pakistan with moral courage to accept an against verdict? IK should also remember to accept whole heartedly the outcome of commission.
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May 04, 2015 06:28pm
That is not the right way to look at things my dear friend Saad...the right way to look at it is that you benefitted from the failures of the returning officer. The right way to look at it is that you owe back to this nation everything you added to your home and wealth after the election.
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May 04, 2015 06:29pm
@Malveros Independents won the most in the cantonment elections. In that sense an independent would win in this constituency, right? The science of cantonments is quite different to the general elections. Talks don't matter, whether they are yours or mine. At the end of the day time will tell that the PTI candidate would win in NA 125 just as time told that Saad Rafiq didn't win the elections.
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May 04, 2015 06:36pm
@Ghazanfer s
So your idea of dealing with a crime is this. Eventually PTI is going to lose so what is the point? Are you for real? What kind of moral value is this? Rigging has happened and you should condemn it first and accept it. Whether PTI loses or wins is secondary. I am sure you do not know what i am saying coz it makes sense.
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May 04, 2015 06:53pm
@Malveros
No worries Khawja sahab, we are PMNL we can rig any election any number of times
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May 04, 2015 07:00pm
what else on earth will take these leaders to understand and realize, at least his ex constituency was rigged and re-elections ordered as such.
I remember Saad Rafique quite openly challenged PTI and all others " open and recount my constituency " or " dare to go for re-elections ". Let be it.
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May 04, 2015 07:00pm
The then President of US Bill Clinton appeared on the TV and apologised to the Nation in Monica Levenski case , when will we have politicians of that stature in our countries, our politicians are liers, thugs what not.
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May 04, 2015 07:01pm
no Sir not RO's faults it were you and solely you who engineered a win for PMLN. now let the music blare and let nation see how capable are you if you win again.
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May 04, 2015 07:06pm
100% true, you are being humiliated for Returning Officer's fault, since you were away on Umrah on election night and someone else disguised himself as Saad Rafique and rigged the elections. such a pity that now again you had to go through entire exercise to win elections... so sad.
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May 04, 2015 07:06pm
Because of this man pml-n's mandate becomes questionable.
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May 04, 2015 07:07pm
It was clear that elections were rigged. Now the court's decision has come out. It proves the IK's point. PTI needs to focus on reelection. In Punjab, it is not just rigging, it is undue influence.
The election laws need to be changed.
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May 04, 2015 07:09pm
I remember the day after election day that UNDP computer system failed. Human Error is now found. I remember the Siemens system installed on the river system of Pakistan and declared total failure. Punjab is living in the Utopian State. Punjab always played foul.
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May 04, 2015 07:10pm
Another Railways Minister gone.
I wonder what is with this Ministry?
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May 04, 2015 07:17pm
Who was the beneficiary of this rigging, the returning officers or you?
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May 04, 2015 07:20pm
He did it, there was no doubt.
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May 04, 2015 07:21pm
Grow a spine Mr Rafique and start taking some ownership and responsibility. Also stop hiding behind horsecrap. It doesnt suit a gentleman.
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May 04, 2015 07:24pm
@Ghazanfer This is not wasting of time. This is a struggle to wake up against status quo which has damped our thinking in a corrupted environment. We don't dare to look at reality of good and bad. Please don't be part of cunning and cheaters who have ruined our country to the level where we are counted in the worst list of nations.
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May 04, 2015 07:26pm
@Malveros Ofcourse PML (N) will get a victory by even bigger margin. As they will put up even more "qualified and experienced" returning officers.
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May 04, 2015 07:35pm
I agree that returning officers did all the rigging, but on whose behest? I think we all know, irrespective of what Khawaja saheb may be saying.
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May 04, 2015 07:41pm
You aren't being punished for the failure of ROs but you were enjoying benefits of ministry because of ROs Mr. Saad. How could you got votes more than your leader Mr. Nawaz Sharif !
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May 04, 2015 07:51pm
We shall see in next election.
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May 04, 2015 07:55pm
Result should definitely be clarified, don't be hesitate if you are clean..... Best of luck to both of you....
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May 04, 2015 08:11pm
When PTI was shouting about rigging, you were suggesting them to go to the courts. Now you're not willing to accept the decision. If you think you're being punished for the mistakes of returning officers then go to court against them so we may believe you. And by the way, who takes U-turns?
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May 04, 2015 08:21pm
But remember Khawaja sahib you were the beneficiary of their mistakes, I don't need to say more I think.
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May 04, 2015 08:21pm
What type of contorted logic is this? This election was stolen - case closed!
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May 04, 2015 08:34pm
So if 'presiding and returning officers' were to blame, then the judicial commission should take note of the comment of Saad Rafique since this is what Zardari and Khan has been saying that 'returning officers' were responsible for the election fraud.
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May 04, 2015 08:35pm
Saad Rafique will never accept the election was rigged even if he was caught red handed.
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May 04, 2015 08:35pm
khwaja sahb what realy constitute rigging could you explain please?
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May 04, 2015 08:40pm
@Malveros Even if the victory margin was 40,000 in 2013, if each person cast their vote 6 times for PLMN it doesn't take a mathematician to work out that IF the election is truly fair next time, that margin was diminish very quickly
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May 04, 2015 08:41pm
"Civil dictators"
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May 04, 2015 08:41pm
@Zain Actually it was the other way round. Saad Rafique asked Haroon Rasheed to be the middle man for him to join PTI
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May 04, 2015 08:42pm
@Malveros "It also found that on average, each person had cast six votes each."... If a single person was the cause for this, they wouldn't say average. Do you know what average means?
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May 04, 2015 08:44pm
Ask the RO's who told them to do what they did ? ........mystery solved.
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May 04, 2015 08:49pm
@Riz citizens are the one who elect them.lolzz
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May 04, 2015 09:13pm
Saad Rafique must be debarred for life for cheating the masses of Pakistan.
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May 04, 2015 09:15pm
If you would be punished for your wrong doing then punishment would surely be more. So this is right that he is (only) punished for wrongdoing of ro.
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May 04, 2015 09:30pm
Saad Rafique saheb you should convince your leader - the PM - to immediately order for arrest of the returning officers concerned instead of saying that the ROs "may" be disqualified. The ROs should / must be sent behind bars as mere disqualification would not serve any purpose ..any good ....for future elections.
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May 04, 2015 09:37pm
Saad Rafique, now behave like a true and decent statesman and step down and leave Pakistan politics for ever. There is no place for fraud politicians like you in Pakistan.
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May 04, 2015 09:50pm
@Malveros 40,000 margin was when your voters voted six times. 40,000/6 = 6,666
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May 04, 2015 09:58pm
This is a good sign. At least the re-election can be expected to be transparent. I believe it's going to be a close contest and PTI is much better positioned to emerge as the victor.
Saad Rafique should refrain from making immature remarks. If he believes he won by a large margin and enjoys the support of the masses, he should sit back and relax and let the people re-elect him.
All said and done, this is a major blow to the government.
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May 04, 2015 09:59pm
@Ahmed31 Yes Yes Yes !!!
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May 04, 2015 10:04pm
@Zoheb
Thumbs up! Respect for PTI
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May 04, 2015 10:21pm
Saad Rafique has publically said that he will leave politics if rigging is proved.
Well mr.ex minister, it is time to put your money where your mouth is.
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May 04, 2015 10:24pm
This is a good chance for PML to clean themselves from corrupt practices. Future of Pakistan depends on clean and fair election.
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May 04, 2015 10:27pm
By the way you were also beneficiary of returning officer failure :)
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May 04, 2015 10:31pm
Very few people will believe u.
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May 04, 2015 11:06pm
Please start legal proceeding against presiding and residing officers. You and PML (N) govt claimed, a party respect laws and constitution. Is Information minister is out of country ? as no words so far appeared, from him, in media
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May 04, 2015 11:21pm
@Karamba The ROs are / were not expected to get involved in any malpractice either without receiving money in return for this "assistance" or pressure from rulers. In either case they have to be treated as criminals and punished accordingly. Will our rulers go after them - the ROs - or ignore ROs criminal acts completely ?
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May 05, 2015 12:05am
@Zain .. Dude its not about KSR winning the seat ... its about PMLN rigging the election to gain power .... Whether KSR is a honest person or not, he has won the election courtesy of cheating ... who did it ??, well i guess we would never know .. people are free to make speculations but in respectable society people would honorarily resign if any irregularity is proven against them....oh did i say respectable society ...duh
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May 05, 2015 12:17am
If some accounts people in a company do some tampering and fraud and ultimate beneficiary is the GM, then obviously the GM is liable to be punished as main culprit.
Saad Rafiq was the ultimate beneficiary and ROs were his pawns. So yes, the ROs must face justice as well and Saad Rafiq must be awarded larger punishment. Dont portray yourself as "masoom" Mr. Rafiq.
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May 05, 2015 12:31am
It is hilarious. Khawaja Saad Rafiq has not a single favourable comment in 106 comments posted so far.
It seem that NAMALOOM VOTERS have voted him in 2013 election.
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May 05, 2015 12:34am
You are so cute Mr Saad Rafiq. You are being punished because you are so "masoom" eh???? Our country has such funny characters by millions.
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May 05, 2015 01:10am
And Mr. Rafique, who ordered the staff to commit these irregularities? Was it the Queen of England? or for that matter, was it Mr. Sethi who fixed your puncture?
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May 05, 2015 01:37am
@Ghazanfer you really don't have any idea... do you? what has been gained? the knowledge that the nation has been denied the right to fair elections. .. it's not about who wins the seat after this, it's about how this guy won it the first time around
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May 05, 2015 02:14am
No Saad, u have to face consequences of your actions 1/35 punctures. This is engineered, THAPA, designed, I neutral person ur attitude from the day one u r harsh, shouting, abusing language showing that you crying now, be courageous, now u will go for appeal which showing that there are more punctures.
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May 05, 2015 02:49am
Nothing to worry about Saad Rafique. If you are re-elected (as I know you will), you will be vindicated and Imran Khan will owe you an apology for talking rubbish all these months.
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May 05, 2015 03:27am
@Malveros; rather than feeling ashamed that corruption exists in our society at a mass level, you are challenging the judgment and sentiments of Judicial commission and people who witnessed in the cantonment area including myself how rigged this election was.
Have a self analysis of your values and integrity.
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May 05, 2015 03:48am
We know you did it! we know you wont admit it... But this shows the morals of our politicians, in fact a leading politician and a Minister in NS Cabinet. Who in his right mind will accept that the rigging was done by the polling staff without the involvement of the beneficiary - the Khawaja. Please have some courage and accept the reality.
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May 05, 2015 03:51am
IK Dharna has done a great service for the benefit of our future generations - we can now expect at least some electoral system reforms. But the vested interest shall still try to kill such reforms. PTI/IK need to be on-guard!
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May 05, 2015 05:02am
Once it's established that Rafique won by rigging he should NOT BE ALLOWED to run again for at least 2 years.
He is lucky to be allowed another chance.
And if he wins again , legally we would have this corrupt man running the railways again.
That will be a tragedy.
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May 05, 2015 05:58am
Glad to see you go!
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May 05, 2015 06:17am
This may be administrative irregularity. 40,000 votes is lots of difference and Imran is no longer that popular. I don't think result will be any different.
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May 05, 2015 06:21am
@Ghazanfer I think it is not about loosing or winning a seat. It is step against a corrupt system. The entire system is corrupt, if you keep accepting without any resistance then you will have it for your entire life.
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May 05, 2015 08:17am
@American Agree completely!
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