PTI, PML-N back formation of parliamentary commission to probe ‘rigging’

ISLAMABAD: While Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif has demanded the formation of a parliamentary commission to probe the alleged rigging in the July 25 polls, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government-to-be has agreed to the same.

While speaking to media persons, the former Punjab chief minister said, “The opposition demands formation of a parliamentary commission.”

“We have the right to raise our voices against rigging in elections… Why did the result transmission system [RTS] stop working at the last minute? Why were the polling agents thrown out of the polling stations,” he inquired.

The PML-N chief further said that the commission must comprise members of all parliamentary political parties. “The commission must find out why the RTS was shut down. The commission must find why polling agents weren’t allowed to stay inside polling stations when votes were being counted. Why were votes counted in absence of polling agents? The nation has the right to know about all of this,” he added.

The PML-N had secured more seats in the Punjab Assembly. “Everyone knows why we weren’t able to form a government,” Shehbaz remarked.

The former Punjab chief minister also remarked that rather than exchanging congratulations, the opposition will ask for an investigation into the elections on the first session of the National Assembly.

PTI AGREES:

Meanwhile, PTI Spokesperson Fawad Chaudhry, while talking to an anchorperson on his show, said that his party was ready to form a parliamentary commission to probe the matter.

Chaudhry said they had no objection to the commission and were ready to investigate rigging allegations.

On Wednesday, anti-PTI parties had staged a protest outside the office of the Election Commission of Pakistan office in Islamabad, against alleged rigging of polls.

The protest was attended by the leadership of the like-minded parties, which also demanded resignation from the ECP officials.