Islamabad: The Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) government has decided to present in Parliament the judicial commission report on alleged rigging in the 2013 general elections.
Well-informed sources in the Law Ministry said that matters agreed upon during the formation of the three-judge commission and implementation of the political agreement in March between the government and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) will also be raised in parliament.
Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) senior leader Khursheed Shah had also raised the demand for the report to be presented in Parliament.
On Thursday, the three-member commission released its final report, rejecting claims by the Imran Khan-led PTI that the 2013 general elections were rigged and saying the polls were largely fair and in accordance with the law.
The PTI had led a series of long-running protest demonstrations across the country, claiming the party had been robbed of victory in the ballot by a shadowy conspiracy involving poll officials and the ruling PMLN, which won by a landslide.
The PTI staged a large sit-in protest in front of parliament for several months last year to try to force Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif from power over the claims.
But in March this year, the two sides agreed over the formation of the judicial commission to investigate claims of foul play in the landmark polls, which marked the first handover of power from one elected civilian government to another in Pakistan’s history.
On Thursday the three-judge commission, headed by Chief Justice Nasir-ul-Mulk, delivered its 237-page report, saying the elections were “in large part organised and conducted fairly and in accordance with the law” and allegations of a plot to rig the result were not supported by evidence.
The report pointed to shortcomings by the Electoral Commission of Pakistan but said the evidence did not support claims the result was not a “true and fair reflection of the mandate given by the electorate”.
After the release, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said in a nationwide televised address that his party was going to “forget whatever happened after the 2013 elections” and also hoped that his rivals would also avoid negative politics in future.
PTI chief Imran Khan said he accepted the commission’s decision but would give a detailed reaction later after reading their report in full.
