Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa Saturday demanded evidence of his involvement in the rigging of the February 8 elections after Commissioner Rawalpindi Division Liaqat Ali Chatha levelled serious allegations against the top judge and other authorities. “You level baseless allegations. There is no truth to it nor is evidence presented. You can level allegations all you want, it is your right but present evidence to back it. Whether good or bad, it will be determined later,” the top judge said in reaction to today’s dramatic development. He went on to say that his role was only restricted to the facilitation of the conduct of elections. “If someone did not want elections, that\u2019s another story,” he said. The CJP questioned his and apex court’s connection to the polls, saying that the court only receive and decide upon petitions linked to elections. The CJP said that the apex court did not order the elections; instead, it asked both constitutional authorities \u2014 the president and the election commission \u2014 to stage the elections after arriving at a consensus on the date. In a press conference, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb said the commissioner\u2019s name should be placed on the Exit Control List (ECL) immediately. \u201cIt is our responsibility to ensure that anarchy and chaos does not ensue in the country,\u201d Aurangzeb said, as she slammed the commissioner for his \u201cbaseless\u201d allegations. She noted that a commissioner is neither a returning officer nor a district returning officer \u2014 the two crucial office holders who are responsible for the consolidation of results. \u201cThe commissioner will not have any authority that would give him access to the preparation of election results,\u201d she said, calling for a strict punishment to be granted to Chatha if his allegations were proven false. She recalled that \u201cno candidate won with a 50,000-vote lead\u201d as per the claims of the commissioner. Aurangzeb wondered where the top official was for the last eight days and whom he met to \u201cgrow a conscience\u201d. \u201cWe demand that his activities during these eight days be probed,\u201d she said, claiming that there is an entire group that does not want stability in the country. Chatha, earlier in the day, tendered his resignation, which he said was out of “guilty conscience” for abetting large-scale electoral rigging in the garrison city further raising the political mercury in the country. Addressing a press conference at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, the official announced to step down from his position, admitting he did injustice to the people of his city. The commissioner, in the rare press conference, took responsibility for the \u201crigging\u201d that he claimed took place in Rawalpindi Division. \u201cWe converted the losers into winners with 50,000 votes margin,\u201d he stated, surrendering himself before the authorities. “I apologise to the returning officers of my division,” he said, adding that his subordinates were crying about what they were directed to do. Chatha claimed that even today, the election staff are affixing fake stamps on the ballot papers. “We wronged the country […] I should be executed at Rawalpindi’s Kachehri Chowk” he lamented. Stressing that he was under pressure from social media and overseas Pakistanis, the official revealed that he even attempted suicide this morning. “It is not unknown who is committing such wrongdoing and who’s behind it. “13 National Assembly candidates, who were losing, were made to win by a margin of up to 70,000 votes,” he added. The Rawalpindi Division comprises 13 National Assembly seats, on which 11 Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) candidates were successful, while the rest were secured by an independent candidate and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP). The division also has 27 provincial seats \u2014 on which PML-N was successful on 15 and 11 independents. The claims made by Chatta were rejected by Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and met with severe criticism from PML-N and Punjab government. Meanwhile, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf welcomed the development and Pakistan Peoples Party demanded probe into the matter.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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