Pak polls: PTI urges immediate resignation of CEC Raja amid allegations of irregularities

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) is intensifying its call for the immediate resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja, holding him responsible for the alleged failure to ensure free, fair, and transparent general elections in 2024, ARY News reported.

Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, representing PTI, conveyed the party's demand after a meeting with party founder Imran Khan in Rawalpindi's Adiala jail, stating, "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."

Khan emphasised the necessity for impartial inquiries into election discrepancies, underscoring the party's commitment to aligning election results with the public mandate. He also insisted on the issuance of election results in accordance with Form 45, responding to concerns raised by multiple political parties regarding discrepancies based on Form 47, as reported by ARY News.

Referring to the recent revelations by former Rawalpindi Commissioner Liaquat Ali Chatha, who admitted involvement in rigging during the 2024 general elections, Khan argued that these disclosures supported PTI's claims of electoral irregularities. Khan expressed concerns about the potential impact of non-transparent elections on Pakistan's agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Accusing the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) of failing in its responsibility, Khan called for an investigation into Liaquat Ali Chatha's allegations and the conduct of the February 8 elections. He asserted that CEC Raja's resignation would contribute to a non-controversial inquiry into the reported irregularities on February 8. Liaquat Ali Chatha's shocking admission of involvement in election rigging added another layer of controversy to the already disputed polls.

Chatha implicated himself and accused the ECP and Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa of being involved in the alleged rigging, a claim denied by both the ECP and the Chief Justice. In response to Chatha's allegations, the ECP flatly rejected the accusations, stating that neither the ECP nor its officials instructed the Rawalpindi commissioner to alter election results.

The ECP clarified that commissioners of any division do not have a direct role in conducting elections, as they are neither District Returning Officers (DROs), Returning Officers (ROs), nor Presiding Officers (POs). Following the press conference, Liaquat Ali Chatha was transferred, and Rawalpindi Development Authority DG Saif Anwar Jappa was assigned the additional charge, ARY News reported.