Prime Minister Imran Khan has invited the opposition to “sit with us” to reform the electoral system so that the credibility of our elections is restored.
The prime minister took to Twitter and a series of messages calls for reforms. “I invite the Opposition to sit with us and select from EVM models we have available to restore our elections’ credibility,” he said in one of his tweets.
He said for a year now, the federal government had been asking for the cooperation and help to reform the present electoral system.
“Our govt is determined and we will put in place reforms in our electoral system through the use of technology to bring transparency and credibility to our elections and strengthen our democracy,” Imran said.
He referred to the US presidential elections and said: “Trump’s team did everything to dispute 2020 presidential election result, but because technology was used in the electoral process, not one irregularity was found.”
Prime Minister Imran’s offer came after all the parties who contested NA 249 by-election in Karachi alleged rigging and demanded a recount of votes. He quoted the Senate and Daska by-elections as parties alleged malpractice in the process.
In another tweet, he referred to the 1970 general elections, and said: “In fact, apart from the 1970 election, in every election, claims of rigging have raised doubts over the credibility of election results.”
About the 2013 general elections, he said 133 petitions were filed before election tribunals. His party had demanded a probe in only four constituencies, and in all four, “rigging was established”.
“But it took us a year and a 126-day dharna to get a Judicial Commission which found over 40 faults in conduct of elections,” he said.
However, all his efforts went down the drain as no reforms were made.
He said that the use of technology and electronic voting machines (EVMs) are the only answer to “reclaim the credibility of elections”.
NA 249 BY-POLLS: Meanwhile, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has accepted PML-N candidate Miftah Ismail’s application for a recount and set May 4 for hearing.
In the by-elections to National Assembly constituency NA 249 held on April 29, Miftah polled 15,473 votes and lost to PPP’s Qadir Khan Mandokhel by a slim margin of 683 votes.
