Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has released a detailed white paper alleging extensive rigging in the 2024 elections.
In a press conference, Barrister Gohar, PTI’s Chairman, asserted that the reported election results from February 8 were incorrectly based on Form 47 instead of Form 45, significantly altering the election outcome from a win to a loss for PTI. He called for the resignation of the Election Commission and expedited hearings on the numerous petitions they have filed.
Despite taking their grievances to the Supreme Court, which has yet to schedule a hearing, PTI has filed 158 petitions in the Election Tribunal. Due to insufficient committees, they were compelled to release a 300-page white paper documenting the alleged discrepancies.
Gohar emphasized PTI’s ongoing protests against what they perceive as election manipulation and declared that these protests would continue in collaboration with their allied parties. He reiterated the urgency for the Election Commission to address their petitions, claiming that PTI had rightfully won 180 National Assembly seats unjustly awarded to other parties through manipulations involving Form 47, affecting their reserved seat allocation.
With pending hearings in the overloaded Election Tribunal, PTI has published the white paper detailing their protests, actions taken by tribunals, Supreme Court petitions, and coordinated rallies.
Gohar noted that the white paper is based on information recognized internationally and within Pakistan by reputable news sources such as The Guardian, Washington Post, and The Times. He advocated for forming a Judicial Commission to investigate the claims detailed in the white paper, hold accountable those responsible for the alleged rigging, and implement electoral reforms to safeguard against future discrepancies.
During the press conference, PTI Secretary General Omar Ayub accused the Election Commission of fraud. He demanded the Chief Election Commissioner’s resignation for allegedly tampering with the electoral process and betraying public trust.
Furthermore, Senator Shibli Faraz remarked on the persistent perceptions of rigged elections and discussed PTI’s initiatives to introduce electronic voting machines and extend voting rights to overseas Pakistanis. He criticized the Election Commission for failing to conduct elections within the constitutionally required 90 days following the dissolution of the assembly, highlighting PTI’s success despite the alleged vote diversion and asserting the current government’s lack of moral authority to govern.
Faraz stressed the importance of transparency and the need to inform the public of all factual details surrounding the election outcomes.
