PTI announced protest across Pakistan against what it alleged brazenly rigged by-polls, demanding that ECP withhold the victory notifications       (From left to right) PTI spokesperson Raoof Hasan, Chairman Gohar Ali Khan, Secretary General Omar Ayub Khan, and SIC Chairman Sahibzada Hamid Raza address a press conference in Islamabad on April 22, 2024, in this still taken from a video. — Facebook/@PTIOfficial

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Monday announced protest demonstrations across the country on Friday against what it alleged the blatant and brazenly rigged by-polls, demanding that the Election Commission of Pakistan withhold the victory notifications.

The PTI leadership said the by-elections could not be called elections in anyway but a farce and mere wastage of public money. Addressing a press conference here along with the party’s Secretary General and Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Omar Ayub Khan and Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) Chairman Sahibzada Hamid Raza, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan said the by-elections in Punjab were a dark and shameful day for democracy.

He insisted the by-polls were meant to hold the government accountable, but unfortunately, what was done on the day of the by-elections in Punjab was not elections, alleging the mandate thieves resorted to such shameful and vindictive steps to coercive people and officials to rig elections in presence of the representatives of the ECP.

Gohar claimed that the ballot boxes were even stuffed well before the start of the voting process at some polling stations, which was unthinkable even during the rule of the worst dictator.

“We informed the Election Commission regarding all the details related to the polls rigging in Gujrat instantly but it was yet to take any action in this regard despite lapse of 24 hours, which raised many eyebrows,” he maintained.

The PTI chairman lamented that the constitution, democracy and rule of law were virtually suspended in the country. Gohar recalled that after the ‘mega polls robbery’ in general elections, they had demanded that the returning officers should be taken from the judiciary instead of the administration but the ECP didn’t accept their ‘rightful and fair demand’.

He equally blamed the IG Punjab for the ‘mega polls fraud’, adding that they were also looking at the role of the polls. He urged the ECP not to notify those who had secured victories fraudulently in the by-polls.

Omar Ayub said Sunday’s by-elections in no way could be called an election but a farce exercise in which only the tax payers’ money was wasted. He said 24 hours before the by-election, internet service was shut down for pre-poll rigging because the government did not have the courage to hold free, fair and transparent elections.

The ballot boxes, he claimed, were stuffed at many polling stations in the morning, the video of which was also available.

Omar continued that the returning officer in Bajaur wrote a letter on threats, pressure and harassment he faced at the hands of the intelligence agencies to rig the polls, which was unfortunate.

He demanded that both the letters written by the IHC six judges and RO Bajaur pertaining to the agencies’ role in meddling in the judicial and electoral process should be investigated thoroughly.

“I call on the heads of all intelligence agencies, working in Pakistan, to probe into the allegations leveled against their respective agencies and apologize to the nation for interfering in the elections and judicial affairs in relation to surfacing of the letters of the six judges of IHC and the RO Bajaur,” he noted.

He said that five agencies operating in Pakistan include IB, special branch, ISI, field intelligence unit and military intelligence and their heads should come clean and tell the truth to the nation plainly as to why they interfered in the election process.

“We would raise these points on the floor of the house emphatically and would not rest until we take the issue to its logical end,” he maintained.

Omar said that a cameraman and reporter of 92 news and GNN news channels were dragged and arrested by the Punjab police and brutally tortured.

The PTI secretary general said when they confronted the police, they were told by the cops that journalists were not detained by them but the agencies officials, who were roaming around in police uniform.

Omar alleged that the Punjab police crossed all limits of barbarism and lawlessness, as even the police blocked their way for three hours because the high-ups of police showed their helplessness, pleading that they had orders from above not to allow him and Barrister Gohar.

Omar said that the opposition alliance ‘Tehreek-e-Tahfuz Aain’ or the Movement for Protection of the Constitution would hold its public meetings in Faisalabad, a jalsa in Karachi on May 5, followed by a series of public meetings in North and Central Punjab, besides holding such events in Sindh and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

Hamid Raza said it would be an insult to the elections to call the Sunday’s by-polls as an election because the results were forcibly taken from the ROs and the presiding officers were bribed in the Governor House and those, who refused, were not only badly tortured but were also coerced to sign Form 45.

He said a video was made in the Governor’s House, where money was doled out among the people in lieu of votes, which was shameful and disgusting. He said the ECP once again proved it played its role in protecting mandate thieves and ensure their victory.