Following accusations of election rigging and manipulation of results, particularly by PTI regarding Forms 45, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) belatedly uploaded relevant documents for the February 8 elections on its website, missing the initial deadline. The ECP made Forms 45, 46, 48, and 49 available online for the National Assembly and provincial legislatures.
This action, however, failed to appease PTI, which criticized the uploaded Form 45 as manipulated. PTI claims to hold the original, signed Form 45, which they assert demonstrates significant electoral fraud.
In a press briefing last month, PTI leader Raoof Hasan stated that PTI-supported candidates received only 92 seats in the National Assembly, far below their anticipated 177. He alleges the loss of 85 seats due to fraud and highlights inconsistencies between Forms 45 and 47 as evidence of election tampering.
In reaction to the ECP’s disclosure, PTI Sindh President Haleem Adil Sheikh dismissed the forms as inauthentic and criticized the ECP for generating chaos. Sheikh, supported by fellow PTI leaders at the Karachi Press Club, presented their Form 45 as irrefutable evidence of their victory, condemning the actions of returning officers (ROs) for illicitly altering them.
He also referenced the Supreme Court’s decision endorsing the ECP’s removal of PTI’s electoral symbol, the cricket bat, which led to candidates receiving unfamiliar symbols. Despite disruptions, including cellular and internet service outages on election day, Sheikh highlighted the significant voter turnout for PTI.
At the event, PTI leader Khurram Sher Zaman critiqued PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari for only showcasing his Form 45 from the Larkana seat, implying selective transparency.
