ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan announced the establishment of a high-level committee on Saturday to investigate the allegations raised by the Rawalpindi Commissioner regarding the recent general elections.
The decision was made during a meeting of the Election Commission held today in the federal capital, with distinguished members of the Commission in attendance.
Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja, along with Punjab Election Commissioner Babar Hasan Bharwana, participated in the meeting virtually.
The committee, led by a senior member of the Election Commission, will be tasked with collecting statements from Returning and Deputy Returning Officers in Rawalpindi.
A three-day timeframe has been set for the committee to compile and present its findings to the Election Commission.
Earlier in the day, Commissioner Rawalpindi Division Liaquat Ali Chattha asserted that the results of the February 8 elections in the Rawalpindi division were manipulated. Addressing media persons at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, the Commissioner alleged irregularities during the elections in Rawalpindi and implicated the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) in poll rigging.
Chattha stated, “Betraying the country’s trust weighs heavily on my conscience. I take full responsibility for these wrongdoings and reveal that the chief election commissioner and the chief justice are also complicit.”
“I deserve punishment for the injustices I have committed, and others involved should face consequences as well,” he added.
The former bureaucrat admitted to considering suicide but ultimately decided to disclose the matters to the public. “I urge the entire bureaucracy not to engage in wrongdoing for these politicians,” he emphasized.
Following the allegations by Commissioner Rawalpindi, Caretaker Chief Minister Punjab ordered an “impartial probe” into the claims of poll irregularities. Mohsin Naqvi directed an “impartial investigation” into the accusations of election result manipulation made by Rawalpindi Commissioner Liaquat Ali Chattha.
