Man with no mandate is going to become PM: Saad Rafique

LAHORE: Khawaja Saad Rafique of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) asserted Saturday night that "a man with no mandate" — Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan — "is going to become the Prime Minister".

Speaking to the media after a count of the rejected votes from his constituency, NA-131, was completed, Rafique said despite Khan's claim to recount votes from whichever constituency a political leader desired, the latter's lawyers have submitted reservations against such an act.

Khan had said he did not have a problem with rechecking the number of votes in any constituency, the PML-N leader noted.

According to Imran Khan's lawyer, Shoaib Siddiqui, the number of votes in favour of Rafique had increased by 70 but the PTI head, "as usual, stands declared the victor".

Rafique said he had demanded the recounting of votes from the entire constituency but the returning officer denied his request.

"Every child knows if the bags [of votes cast] are opened, Imran Khan will lose. A man who doesn't have a mandate is going to become the prime minister," he said.

Recounting of votes had been carried out at five polling stations, where, Rafique said, the number of votes in his favour had risen by 38.

"13,000 of the votes in my constituency were rejected," he added, mentioning that recounting will "continue at five more polling stations tomorrow".