Ali Amin Gandapur calls Shehbaz Sharif prime minister of ‘Form 47’

ISLAMABAD: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur on Friday called PML-N president Shehbaz Sharif, prime minister of ‘Form 47’ — a document detailing unconfirmed results of a constituency, including the number of votes cast and cancelled.

Speaking to journalists outside Islamabad Judicial Complex, the KP chief minister claimed that the incumbent government was formed after stealing PTI’s mandate, alleging that results of February 8 general elections were changed in Form 47s.

Ali Amin Gandapur noted that it would be useless to talk to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif as the latter reached parliament through Form 47 results.

PTI among several other political parties have alleged that the recently-held general elections were rigged as returning officers (ROs) did not follow records of Form 45 prepared by presiding officers (POs) and released entirely different results in Form 47.

Responding to a question regarding ciphergate issue, CM Gandapur said that PTI’s stance remained unchanged regarding the cipher as it was a ‘conspiracy’ and ‘foreign intervention’ in Pakistan’s internal affairs.

He pointed out that former Pakistani envoy to the US Asad Majeed had confirmed the arrival of diplomatic cipher, and the letter should be questioned in this regard if no meeting was held.

Terming US Assistant Secretary of State Donald Lu’s statement a ‘lie’, the KP chief minister also questioned why PTI founder Imran Khan was sentenced if cipher did not exist.

Deposed Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan publicly accused the US diplomat Donald Lu of delivering a warning to the then-Pakistani ambassador in Washington, Asad Majeed, suggesting that the removal of Imran Khan from office would help improve ties.

Khan and his PTI government were removed from power in April 2022 through a vote of no confidence, a first in Pakistan’s history.

Since then, the US has repeatedly denied Imran Khan’s allegation that it was involved in any conspiracy to remove him from PM office.

Donald Lu testified before a subcommittee of the US House Committee on Foreign Affairs, at a hearing titled ‘Pakistan After the Elections: Examining the Future of Democracy in Pakistan and the US-Pakistan Relationship’, where he was questioned about the allegations and his assessment of them.

“It is not accurate. At no point does it accuse the US government or me personally of taking steps against Imran Khan. And thirdly, the other person in the meeting, the then-ambassador of Pakistan to the US, has testified to his own government that there was no conspiracy.”