After recording his statement with the judicial commission (JC) probing alleged vote fraud in last general elections, former caretaker Punjab chief minister Najam Sethi took to the social media to grill Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan, who has been persistently accusing him of involvement in “poll rigging”.
“PTI’s Pirzada did not ask even a single question from me in JC regarding 35 punctures! Why? Because it is a big lie,” he said in a message posted on twitter.
“Now those who levelled this malicious allegation against me must apologise in public or pay damages in court,” Sethi said, adding that he had already filed a defamation lawsuit against Khan.
BEFORE THE COMMISSION:
Earlier, senior journalists Hamid Mir and Najam Sethi appeared before the JC on Monday and got their statements recorded. They were questioned by the lawyers of PTI, Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) and Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).
Responding to lawyers during the proceedings, Sethi said that he knew nothing about ECP’s demand of 200 men for printing of ballot papers. He said that when PTI Chairman Imran Khan objected to Qamaruz Zaman’s appointment as Punjab chief secretary, Javed Iqbal was appointed in his place.
Speaking before the JC, Hamid Mir said that he discussed rigging allegations in all four provinces and tribal areas in his programs after elections. He said that he had talked about more than 100 per cent polling at certain polling stations on the behalf of Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) report.
“Joint Religious Front candidate Shah Abdul Aziz brought a sack full of ballot papers in my program. PTI was victorious from that constituency,” Mir said, presenting a ballot papers’ book from NA-223 before the commission.
On the occasion, PTI lawyer Abdul Hafeez Pirzada demanded that the ECP should bring forward the record of its demand for ballot papers. He said that Imran Khan would not object to opening the ballot bags in Khyber Pakhtunkhawa (KP) if there are any rigging allegations. He said that he would also present Imran Khan as witness.