The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has demanded the immediate resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja, attributing to him the failure to conduct the 2024 general elections in a manner that is free, fair, and transparent.
In a statement to the press following a visit with PTI’s founder, Imran Khan, in Adiala Jail, Rawalpindi, Barrister Gohar Ali Khan described the sitting CEC as a “controversial figure” due to his apparent inability to avert election rigging. Khan stressed the importance of conducting all election-related probes impartially and without outside interference to ensure outcomes accurately reflect the electorate’s will.
Furthermore, Khan underscored the necessity for election outcomes to align with Form 45, in light of claims of inconsistencies with Form 47 by various political groups. He cited remarks from the erstwhile Commissioner of Rawalpindi, which lent support to PTI’s allegations of electoral manipulation, cautioning that such opaque electoral proceedings could potentially affect Pakistan’s agreements with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Khan voiced his discontent with the Election Commission’s efficacy and advocated for an examination of allegations put forth by Liaquat Ali Chatha concerning the conduct of the elections on February 8. He contended that Raja’s resignation is crucial to guarantee the probity of the inquiry into the reported electoral anomalies.
In a remarkable revelation, Liaquat Ali Chatha, the recently resigned Commissioner of Rawalpindi, confessed to manipulating the 2024 general elections, further complicating the debate over the validity of the election outcomes.
Chatha, accepting responsibility for what he termed a “heinous act,” implicated not only himself but also accused the Election Commission of Pakistan and Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa of participating in the alleged fraud, a claim both the ECP and the CJP have refuted.
Chatha’s admission arrived against widespread claims of election rigging by PTI and other political entities, igniting nationwide demonstrations against perceived electoral injustices.
In retort, the Election Commission categorically denied Chatha’s claims, clarifying that commissioners at the divisional level, such as Rawalpindi, have no direct involvement in the electoral framework as they do not serve as District Returning Officers (DROs), Returning Officers (ROs), or Presiding Officers (POs).
Following these disclosures, Chatha was reassigned, with Saif Anwar Jappa, the Director General of the Rawalpindi Development Authority, appointed to assume his responsibilities.
 has demanded the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja, citing failures in conducting the 2024 general elections transparently and the emergence of election rigging allegations.){kind=link}