A group of five district returning officers have rejected the rigging allegations levelled by former Rawalpindi commissioner Liaquat Ali Chatha earlier today.

In a press conference alongside the new Pindi Commissioner Saif Anwar, the five DROs — including four male officers and a female officer —urged the Election Commission of Pakistan to conduct an independent inquiry into the rigging allegations.

The DROs maintained that they were not pressured by anyone and carried out the polls according to the Election Act as well as directions given by the electoral watchdog.

“I was working as DRO Jhelum and all the polls were conducted free and fairly,” Captain (retd) Samiullah Farooq said.

DRO Chakwal Quratalain also echoed those sentiments.