Justice (retd) Kayani rebuts Afzal Khan’s rigging allegations

LAHORE: Member of Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) Justice (retd) Riaz Kayani on Monday refuted allegations leveled by former additional secretary ECP, Afzal Khan regarding rigging during the May 11, 2013 elections, terming them as bogus and a conspiracy.

Addressing a press conference in Lahore on Monday, Justice Kayani told journalists that Afzal Khan had levelled false allegations, because he had not being given a service-extension.



“He is leveling allegations 14 months after the elections, which shows that there is a conspiracy,” Kayani asserted.

On Sunday night, Justice Kayani said that Afzal Khan's personality was controversial during his service tenure. He said Afzal retired a few days after the elections.

Former Supreme Court Justice Tariq Mehmood said that people like Afzal Khan should not be encouraged. He added that creating such an atmosphere now would be enmity with the public. He further added, that Afzal Khan remembered all these things after one-and-a-half years. He lamented that the allegations levelled against respectable Fakhruddin G Ebrahim were regrettable.

In an interview to a private TV channel on Sunday night, Afzal Khan had alleged, that former chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Justice (retd) Tassaduq Hussain Jillani, Justice (retd) Riaz Kayani and former Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Fakhruddin G Ebrahim were involved in the rigging.

Afzal added, that Justice (retd) Riaz Kayani ruined the 2013 general elections, adding that Riaz was responsible for 90 per cent of the destruction.

He said not 35 but several hundred punctures were fixed in the elections.

Afzal Khan said Iftikhar Chaudhry sent ROs to the Election Commission by appointing them himself.

He claimed that Fakhruddin G Ebrahim was frightened while carrying out his duties. He claimed that Ebrahim saved the former chief justice Iftikhar Chaudhry by giving an application for appointing ROs.

He further revealed that the CEC closed his eyes on everything and he should have taken notice of the situation.

It may be mentioned that Khan retired on May 17, 2013.