Amid state of confusion in forming Pakistan's government, a senior Pakistani bureaucrat on Saturday alleged that the chief election commissioner and the chief justice were involved in poll rigging in the recent elections. After taking the "responsibility for all this wrongdoing", former Rawalpindi Commissioner Liaquat Ali Chattha resigned from his post.
Former Prime Minister Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party has been protesting nationwide against alleged rigging and stealing its mandate in the February 8 elections.
Speaking to reporters, Chattha said the candidates who were losing the elections were made to win.
"I am taking the responsibility for all this wrongdoing and telling you that the chief election commissioner and the chief justice are also completely involved in this," Chattha was quoted by The Dawn.
He also added that he should be punished for the injustice he had done towards the country. He also urged the officials involved in the rigging to be punished.
The former bureaucrat said there was pressure on him to the extent that he contemplated suicide but then resolved to present matters before the public.
Meanwhile the Pakistan Election Commission has rejected the allegations of poll-rigging.
"The Election Commission of Pakistan strongly rejects the allegations levelled by the Commissioner Rawalpindi on the chief election commissioner or the election commission and no official of the election commission never issued any instructions regarding changing the election results to the Commissioner Rawalpindi...Neither is the commissioner of any division ever appointed as a DRO, RO or presiding officer, nor do they ever play a direct role in the conduct of elections," read a press statement by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).
However, the commission said it would investigate the matter.
Earlier, Punjab caretaker Information Minister Amir Mir has also rejected the claims of manipulation of election results made by Chattha.
He also said that Chattha was retiring on March 13 and he was trying to kick start his political career.
Independent candidates- backed by the PTI had won 93 of the 265 assembly seats. While, former PM Nawaz Sharif’s PML-N won 75 seats and PPP came third with 54 seats.
