PTI demands immediate resignation of CEC Sikandar Raja

RAWALPINDI: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has demanded ‘immediate resignation’ of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja for ‘failing’ to hold general elections 2024 in a free, fair and transparent manner, ARY News reported on Tuesday.

“Incumbent CEC [Sikandar Sultan Raja] has now become a controversial personality as he failed to stop rigging in elections; PTI demands CEC Raja to resign immediately,” Barrister Gohar Ali Khan told journalists after meeting party’s founder Imran Khan in Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail.

He further said that all the inquiries into election discrepancies should be impartial and without any interference. “We want the election results to be in accordance with the mandate of the public,” Gohar added.

Gohar Ali Khan also demanded that the polling authorities issue election results in line with Form 45 after several political parties alleged discrepancies in the results based on Form 47.

He pointed out that former Rawalpindi Commissioner’s revelations affirmed the PTI’s stance regarding rigging in the elections, saying that “non-transparent” elections could also hamper International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme with Pakistan.

“The Election Commission has failed to fulfill its responsibility”, he regretted, also demanding an investigation into Liaquat Ali Chatha’s allegations and conduct of Feb 8 elections. “CEC Raja should resign so that the inquiry into Feb 8 irregularities can be called non-controversial”, he added.

In a shocking ‘revelation’, Rawalpindi Commissioner Liaquat Ali Chatha – who stepped down from his post – dropped a bombshell on Saturday, confessing to be involved in rigging the Pakistan general elections 2024, adding another layer of controversy to the already disputed polls.

Taking responsibility for what he termed a “heinous crime,” Chatha implicated not only himself but also accused the Election Commission of Pakistan and Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa of involvement in the ‘rigging’ — a claim denied by the ECP and the CJP.

The presser came almost a week after the Feb 8 general elections as the ECP has already been in the crosshairs of several rigging allegations amidst PTI and other political parties’ nationwide protests, claiming they were deprived of their mandate.

The ECP flatly rejected the rigging allegations put forth by Liaquat Ali Chatta against the Election Commission and the Chief Election Commissioner.

The spokesperson said in a statement that neither the ECP nor any of its officials instructed the Rawalpindi commissioner to change election results under his jurisdiction.

Commissioners of any division do not have a direct role in conducting elections; they are neither District Returning Officers (DROs), Returning Officers (ROs), nor Presiding Officers (POs), the spokesperson noted.

Following the presser, Liaquat Ali Chattha was transferred and Rawalpindi Development Authority DG Saif Anwar Jappa was given the additional charge.