ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan demanded the resignation of members of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) involved in serious irregularities in the NA-122 polling in Lahore.

Addressing a news conference here on Sunday, the PTI chairman said that the ECP members had lost legal and moral standing and must resign. He also said that the chairman of the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) should also quit his post.

His remarks came a day after an election tribunal in Lahore ordered re-polling in NA-122 (Lahore), where National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq had defeated Mr Khan in the May 2013 general elections.

Mr Khan, who chaired a meeting of the PTI advisory council earlier in the day, said that there was no doubt that both, the ECP members and the Nadra chairman, were involved in serious irregularities.

Urges SC to deliver verdicts in Ayaz Sadiq, Khawaja Saad cases on the same day

“Those irregularities should be termed ‘criminal negligence’ because all political parties complained about rigging right after the general elections,” he said.

“Moreover, the Nadra chairman tried to save Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, so the PTI advisory council passed a resolution that he (the Nadra chairman) should immediately resign,” he said.

He clarified that he did not have any personal grievance against Sardar Ayaz Sadiq.

“I am not satisfied with the electoral system and there is a need for serious reforms to ensure free and fair elections. If the ECP continues to hold polls in this way, there will be no use of having elections,” he said.

He said that after NA-125 and NA-122, another PML-N wicket was going to fall soon. “If the PTI’s demand to open up four constituencies would have been accepted, the PTI would have never held the sit-in and the PML-N would not be in such an awkward position.”

Mr Khan told reporters that he would not contest the by-elections for the NA-122 seat, however, a PTI candidate will defiantly take part in the race.

He also rejected the perception that intelligence agencies were behind his party’s sit-in, alleging that it was an old habit of the PML-N to try to defame the armed forces.

He said that it was up to the MQM to decide whether or not to return to parliament, but the government should take a decision about their resignations.

Talking about the Kasur child abuse scandal, Mr Khan said that the whole nation had been embarrassed by the incident, but the local police had been supporting the suspects instead of the victims.

In an official statement, issued by PTI spokesperson Naeemul Haq, the party claimed that Mr Khan had decided to end his unannounced boycott of the National Assembly.

“We appeal to Chief Justice of Pakistan that the decision of the Ayaz Sadiq and Khawaja Saad Rafique appeals be announced on the same day,” he said.

‘Dire consequences’

In a separate development, Justice Wajihuddin and his supporters have been warned of ‘dire consequences’ if they continue to oppose Imran Khan.

In response to the messages posted on PTI social media sites, founding member and former central information secretary Akbar S. Babar condemned the warning given to Justice Wajih.

PTI spokesperson Naeemul Haq also condemned the threatening message against Justice Wajih and said, “We will conduct an investigation and punish those responsible.”

Published in Dawn, August 24th, 2015

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