PML-N Rigging Outcry To Strengthen Anti-state Narrative: Dar

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 25th Feb, 2021 ) :Referring to uproar of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on NA-75 by-polls results, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) senior leader Muhammad Usman Dar Thursday said it had designed a "story board" of rigging to strengthen its anti-state narrative.

Talking to media persons outside the Election Commission Pakistan (ECP) head office, he said the political role of Maryam Nawaz had been fully exposed as she blamed the state institutions for her party's apparent defeat in the Daska by-polls.

She was trying to make the state institutions controversial to get the results of her own choice, he added.

He said the PTI lawyer had submitted before the ECP with evidence that the PML-N candidate Nosheen Iftikhar had no objection on the results of 337 polling stations of the Daska by-polls.

Dar said the PML-N's demand for reelection in the entire constituency was incomprehensible as first they called for opening 23 polling stations in the middle of night and then the next day their demand relegated to 20 polling stations.

As regards disappearance of the ECP staff from the constituency on the election day, he said the returning officer (RO) had admitted in the affidavit that neither they were disappeared nor were abducted rather they were late due to certain reasons.

He said out of 20 polling stations, results of six were even endorsed by the PML-N. The ROs had also been saying the same, he added.

So, had there been any kind of rigging then the results of entire 20 polling stations would have changed, he questioned.

Adding further, he said had the Punjab government used state machinery in the by-polls, the results of Wazirabad election would not have been the same.

Dar said Prime Minister Imran Khan always advocated for the free and fair elections, recalling his party's struggle for opening of four Constituencies where it claimed that the elections of 2013 were not fair.

He said it was only Prime Minister Imran Khan who had made an offer for re-polling in 20 polling stations.

The past regimes had not such moral courage, he added.

He said he was confident that the decision of ECP would prove the PTI's stance. The party would accept the ECP decision, he added.

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) candidate from Daska Ali Asjad Malhi said he had gained 50,000 more votes in the by-polls as compared to the previous elections.