LAHORE: The PPP has said the tribunal’s decision of re-poll in NA-125 has proved that the party’s mandate was stolen in 2013 elections.

At a press conference held at the Press Club here on Tuesday PPP senior leader Navid Chaudhry claimed: “If fair and transparent elections are held in Punjab today the PPP will be the most successful party.”

Chaudhry, who contested the 2013 polls from NA-125, said PML-N candidate Khawaja Saad Rafique had managed posting of election staff of his choice in May 2013 election.

He said in 2002 he was winning in the evening (on polling day) and the following morning someone else was declared winner.

“Through an electoral conspiracy the PPP had been barred from coming into power since 1988,” he said.

The PPP leader said that after the tribunal’s verdict Mr Saad Rafique and PML-N leadership should apologise to the nation as their party got power through poll rigging.

Saying that under the present system fair election could not be held, he suggested, “The administrations of other provinces should be brought in Punjab to ensure free and fair elections in the province.”

PML-Q:PML-Q President Chaudhry Shujaat Husain and Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi say that rigging in 2013 elections is a reality and it will fully surface soon.

“The Judicial Commission probing rigging in 2013 elections has been constituted for a special purpose and it has its own framework. The reality will prevail at the end of the day,” Shujaat said while talking to reporters in Paris on Tuesday.

Pervaiz Elahi said rigging in 2013 polls was a reality and now the tribunal’s verdict had also showed that 2013 elections were rigged.

Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid Punjab secretary general and former opposition leader in the Punjab Assembly, Chaudhry Zaheeruddin Khan, said after the tribunal’s verdict all doubts had turned into reality.

“A massive rigging took place in 2013 general elections. The (tribunal) verdict has also proved that the ruling party has got a fake mandate,” he said here on Tuesday.

He claimed the PML-Q was the biggest target of the poll riggers in 2013 as dozens of its candidates were defeated through rigging.

“We have also approached the Judicial Commission against rigging. After the elections all parties had said that in 2013 elections the returning officers had played a role on someone’s behalf. Khawaja Saad Rafiq has also said the ROs and the presiding officers are responsible for rigging in his constituency,” he said.

Chaudhry Zaheeruddin said the ROs and the presiding officers must be held accountable so that the nation came to know the reality of 2013 general elections.

Published in Dawn, May 6th, 2015

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