Election 2024 conducted with utmost fairness: Commissioner Rawalpindi

ISLAMABAD: The newly appointed Commissioner Rawalpindi, Saif Anwar, firmly dismissed allegations of rigging and asserted that the general election transpired with utmost fairness and integrity, ARY News reported on Saturday.

Hours after getting appointed as Commissioner Rawalpindi, Saif Anwar, along with Returning Officers (ROs) and District Returning Officers (DROs) held a press conference addressing the public and media, providing clarity on the recently held general elections 2024.

The DROs in a presser urged the authorities for a thorough inquiry into the allegations raised by the former Commissioner, Liaqat Ali Chattha.

During the press conference, the DROs rejected all the rigging allegations and asserted that there was no external pressure or ‘interference’ during the general election of 2024.

In adherence to ECP’s regulations and guidelines, the DROs clarified that the elections were conducted by the Election Act.

Earlier in the day, a 19-grade officer Saif Anwar, who was serving as Director General (DG) of Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA), was appointed as Commissioner Rawalpindi after Liaqat Ali Chatha resigned as Commissioner Rawalpindi over alleged rigging in elections 2024.

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

Liaqat Ali Chattha admitted that the rigging took place in the 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 also apologized to his subordinates for compelling them to rig elections saying that they were crying when they were directed to carry out the rigging.