ISLAMABAD – The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday directed Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf (PTI) to submit its reply in the alleged votr tampering of NA-75 by-elections on Wednesday (today).
However, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) demanded the ECP to hold election on all the polling stations of the constituency as the elections were rigged and stolen. A five member bench headed by the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Raja Sikandar Sultan on Tuesday heard the case and the hearing was adjourned till Wednesday after listening to the arguments of both the parties.
In his arguments before the bench the Returning Officer stated that the results of 20 polling stations were missing on the election night, adding, that there was no tampering or changes in the final results of 337 polling stations.
The RO argued that the results of 337 polling stations were received by 3:37AM and they could not contact the missing Presiding Officers as their mobile phones were switched off and they were at distance of at least 30 to 40 kilometers. The RO maintained that police were also present with the missing Presiding officers and the missing Presiding Officers cited the reasons for fog and issue in the maintenance of vehicles provided to them by ECP.
Meanwhile, member ECP from Sindh asked the RO that did they take information from the Weather Department regarding the fog. On which RO responded that there was continuous fog in different areas of Punjab for the last few days.
The member ECP from Punjab asked the RO that did they take details of the location of the missing Presiding Officers from the mobile companies; on which RO replied that the mobile number of the District Police Officer was off and they failed to get the location of the missing staffers.
During the hearing the counsel of PML-N’s candidate Nausheen Iftikhar told the bench that the Press release of the Commission was a historical document; adding, that the constituency had turned into a war zone on the Election Day and concerned authorities including IG Punjab police and Chief Secretary Punjab had also gone missing on the election day.
The counsel of Nausheen Iftikhar maintained that this was the first ever election in the history of the country in which 20 Presiding Officers had gone missing and reappeared at the same time.
On the occasion the PML-N’s candidate Nausheen Iftikhar said that police were involved in harassing her voters; stating that she demanded justice from ECP as it was the Constitutional duty of ECP to hold free and fair elections.
While addressing the media Federal Minister for Information Shibli Faraz said that the PML-N had reservations over the 23 polling stations and they were ready to hold re-polling on the 23 polling stations.
He stated that PTI had full trust over the institutions and they will accept the decision of ECP over the NA-75 by- election.
The spokesperson of PML-N while talking to media in front of ECP said that PML-N successfully defended the rights of the people of NA-75 and exposed the real face of the ruling party to the masses.
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