PML-N cries rigging, rejects election results

LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz President Shehbaz Sharif rejected the election results late Wednesday saying that he had not seen such "horrible situation" in his entire political career.

The comments by the PML-N president came amidst strenuous reservations expressed by other mainstream political parties over the polling process and delay of election results.

“Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) wholly rejects the results of General Elections 2018 due to manifest & massive irregularities. Form 45 was not given to our agents, results were stopped & votes were counted in the absence of our poll agents. This is both unbearable & unacceptable!,” the former Punjab Chief Minister said in an emergency press conference. 

"What happened today took Pakistan 30 years back. I have never seen such a horrendous situation in my entire political career."

The former Punjab chief minister said that the PML-N’s polling agents were thrown out during the vote count and were not given form 45.

"I have not seen the kind of malpractices done today after the polling time expired in my whole political career. We heard complaints from the whole country that Form 45 was not being given & the polling agents of the party were driven out," he added. 

The PML-N president alleged that election results on the constituencies of Ayaz Sadiq and Pervaiz Malik have been put on hold. 

"We are convening the meeting of the party's Central Executive Committee tomorrow to decide on the next course of action. We will then hold consultations with other political parties to agree on a shared set of actions. This matter cannot be allowed to go unattended," he announced. 

Political parties cry foul over irregularities in vote count

PPP, PML-N, MQM-P, PSP raise concerns over credibility of vote counting

Speaking on the occasion, later, PML-N leader Mushahid Hussain Syed called the polls, 'a selection rather than an election'.

"It has been the first time in Pakistan's history that as many as five political parties are expressing the same reservation," Syed said. "This has been the dirtiest election in Pakistan's history."

'Except one party, all parties are being cornered'

The Pakistan People’s Party representatives in an emergency press conference alleged that a clear pattern of interference is being seen in the vote count. 

Raza Rabbani claimed that in the polling stations in Karachi’s Lyari, the PPP polling agents were expelled after the voting time ended. The ECP and caretaker government failed to ensure the transparency of the elections, said Rabbani.

PTI spox ‘congratulates’ nation over PM Imran Khan as voting continues

Except for PTI, all the other mainstream political parties have raised questions over the credibility of the vote counting process

“There will be severe consequences if public opinion was tempered with,” said the former chairman Senate.

Senator Sherry Rehman said that it appears that except one party, all political parties are being cornered. 

Political parties cry foul 

All the mainstream political parties have raised serious reservations over the credibility of the polling process.

First to object was the former ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, whose leader and former federal minister for information Marriyum Aurangzeb claimed that at some of the polling stations, polling agents were taken out of the stations and rigging took place.

"Engineered results of the polling are being released, which the PML-N rejects," she said.

Marriyum Aurangzeb said that if the mandate of the PML-N is 'stolen', it will not be acceptable to the party's voters. 

Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan and Pak Sarzameen Party representatives raised the same reservations in separate media talks.

The PSP's central leader, Raza Haroon, in an unscheduled media talk, alleged that the party's polling agents have been told by the officials to collect the results from returning officers. "We have not seen whatever is happening. In the past we have seen such referendums not election," the PSP leader sarcastically remarked. "Its the right of polling agents to receive election results."

The Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan, the arch-rival of the PSP, raised the same concerns in a media talk called on an emergency notice.

"The MQM-P’s representatives were thrown out from NA-249’s Salahuddin school polling station 89, and from a polling station in Gulzar-e-Hijri Metroville," alleged party's senior leader Faisal Subzwari.

“We reserve the right to protest if we are not handed over final results of the polling stations from the election commission staffers,” he added.