ISLAMABAD: Opposition senators condemned alleged rigging in the February 8 elections and chastised Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja for his “failure” to ensure transparency in the polls.
JI senator urges that CEC stand down.
Senator Mushtaq Ahmed of the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) has asked that CEC Raja resign due to the failure to hold transparent elections on February 8.
While addressing a Senate session in Islamabad today, the JI senator stated that the elections were fraudulent and would result in the formation of a phony administration.
The senator made serious allegations against the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), saying the electoral body committed treason and should demand an apology from the people.
“A legal proceeding should be carried out against the CEC under Article 6 of the constitution, for the ECP was given Rs50 billion from the national exchequer but it failed to hold transparent polls,” he said.
The money lost on elections should be repaid, and a prosecution should be filed against CEC Raja, according to the JI senator, who also demands the formation of an autonomous judicial panel at the Supreme Court level.
He argued that the judicial commission should look at Form 45.
The senator also chastised the government for suspending the social networking platform X, claiming that it caused economic and educational harm and amounted to stripping people of their rights. He called for the restoration of all social media platforms avoiding placing restrictions on them.
X, formerly known as Twitter, remains intermittently down in Pakistan after it was restored on Monday after an over 36-hour blockade since Saturday (February 17).
Ahmed said those embroiled in rigging were playing with the national integrity. Suspension of internet services established that the polls were not transparent, he said adding, that the authorities were scared after allowing rigging, therefore social media platforms were shut down.
“To some extent, the Rawalpindi commissioner relayed details about the irregularities in elections. When JI Karachi chief Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman announced to hold a protest, you made him win from a constituency where he was the runner-up,” he said.
