Rawalpindi commissioner resigns over alleged election rigging

RAWALPINDI: Commissioner Rawalpindi Liaqat Ali Chatha on Saturday resigned from his post over alleged rigging in elections 2024, ARY News reported.

Addressing a press conference the Rawalpindi commissioner surrendered to police saying “I accept responsibility for rigging election 2024”.

Chattha admitted that the rigging took place in election and candidates who were leading in their constituencies with over 70,000 votes were converted to losers with the help of fake seals under his watch.

He apologized from his subordinates for compelling them to rig elections saying that they were crying when they were directed to carry out the rigging.

Commissioner Rawalpindi claimed that Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja was also involved in carrying out rigging in election 2024 and everyone involved in the wrongdoings must be convicted.

Chattha revealed that on Saturday morning he thought of committing suicide but then he decided to ‘expose’ the entire rigging fiasco. “I want to die a peaceful death” he added.

Following his press conference, police arrested Commissioner Rawalpindi Liaqat Ali Chatha and was taken to the commissioner office.

It is pertinent to mention here that uncertainty looms over Pakistan’s political future as none of the major political parties – PML-N, PPP or the PTI-backed independent candidates – secured a simple majority in the National Assembly in the February 8 general elections.

Political stakeholders were making efforts to forge alliances and secure 169 seats in the 336-member lower house of parliament.

PTI-backed Independent candidates consolidated their lead in the general elections 2024 over mainstream political parties, especially in the National and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assemblies, throughout the result announcement process.

According to the results announced so far, independent candidates have managed to win 101 seats. It is worth mentioning that out of these 101 independent candidates, 92 are supported by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf while nine are general independent candidates.

PML-N is in the second position with 75 seats, while the PPP has won 54 seats. The MQM-P won in 17 constituencies, JUI-F in four, PML-Q in three, while IPP and BNP won two seats each.