‘Go home Sharif, also take ECP with you!’

• Imran Khan threatens complete shutdown of country if PM Nawaz Sharif fails to tender resignation, dissolves ECP and holds fresh elections
• PTI reveals elections rigging evidence in NA 258 where a patwari was found stamping ballot papers in PML-N’s favour

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan has sought resignation from Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, threatening him to face the “million-man” march on August 14 which he said would continue till all his demands were met.

Addressing a crowded press conference in the federal capital on Tuesday, Khan demanded the premier hold free and fair elections, punish all those involved in rigging previous elections under Article 6 of the Constitution and form a new Election Commission of Pakistan, dissolving the incumbent one.

Khan had been saying that his party did not want to derail the system although he cried foul sharing details of evidence of alleged rigging which according to him took place during elections on May 11 last year.

“I want to tell Nawaz Sharif that the days of Sharif monarchy are over. I want to tell him that all his obstacles would not be able to bar the public from reaching Islamabad. There is no time for negotiations now. There is only one option left: Nawaz Sharif should resign and announce re-election.”

The PTI chief made it clear that his party would come up with a one-point demand to be made on August 14 for a mid-term election on all 242 constituencies.

“My colleagues have handed over their resignations to me. But resignations are a minimal thing. Even other parties are also ready for resignations but I will reveal my cards one by one,” he said.

About Article 245, Khan said that the government was trying to protect rigging by hiding behind the army. He said that rather than suppressing the PTI demonstration, the army will protect it.

“We are happy that the army will be there to protect us as millions of youths, women and men will celebrate true freedom on August 14. We are determined to observe a peaceful demonstration which will be the biggest in the country’s political history by all means,” he added.

Khan said that all the 14 constituencies probed so far have proved that there were massive rigging. “If Nawaz has not rigged the elections, why is he trying to hide behind the army?” he argued.

Khan said that since the May 11 elections, PTI had run from pillar to post to get justice against poll rigging but to no avail.

“We did not get justice from election tribunals, Election Commission, Supreme Court or the Parliament. We want to fix the Election Commission and bring to justice all those involved in vote fraud. We have decided to get justice by holding demonstration which is a democratic measure by all means,” he maintained.

Khan said that Pakistan has free media, independent judiciary but free and fair election was a dream yet to come true. He said all parties have been accusing that the elections of 2013 were fraud. He said that transparent elections were mandatory for true democracy and PTI wanted this to happen in Pakistan.

The PTI chief said that the Punjab government in year 2007 had a growth rate of 6.7 percent. In 2008 elections, the PML-N bagged seven million votes in Punjab. However, despite a dismal performance and a growth rate of 2.4 percent under Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, the PML-N got 15 million votes in 2013 elections, which was “impossible”.

“How can your votes be doubled with such a poor performance? We will provide evidence and names of people involved in rigging on August 11. We will provide details which player had what role?” he added.

Khan alleged that the polling schemes were changed in 93 constituencies after election schedule was announced, which was illegal. He further accused that the UNDP-provided data entry operators were asked to go on leave on May 11. Moreover, the data entry operators slowed down their work after Sharif made victory speech and later they stopped sending data to the ECP.

Khan also alleged that in 17,000 polling stations, 17,000 irregularities were recorded by FAFEN, an NGO monitoring the election process. He further alleged that extra votes were added to electoral lists of 90 constituencies after election schedule was announced.

Khan said that almost every political party had said that these elections were a “massive fraud”.

“Despite all this, there are efforts for a massive cover up. We have proven that this was the worst ever vote fraud in the country’s history. We only wanted four constituencies. As much as 14 months down the line, there is no verification as they are hiding behind stay orders.”

Responding to a question about Punjab Police, Khan advised Punjab Police not to act like “slaves” of Sharif family.

“I request police not to block PTI workers from joining the protest. If Sharif family misused Punjab Police, we will bring them to justice. We are well prepared to deal with any step taken by the rulers. If I am detained, workers will block the entire country.”

Later, PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi shared with the media the evidences collected by PTI about the alleged rigging in May 11 elections. He said the election tribunal had found massive rigging in NA-258 and re-polling was ordered. He said in NA-128, a patwari named Raheel Asghar, was appointed presiding officer who was caught red handed stamping on ballot papers for PML-N candidate.