Rawalpindi Commissioner Liaquat Ali Chattha on Saturday resigned from his post accepting that elections in his division were rigged.
Addressing a press conference at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Chattha said he attempted to commit suicide in the morning because his conscience was pricking him a lot.
He said he was surrendering himself to police taking responsibility for the episode. The commissioner said the candidates who were winning with a margin of 70,000 votes were made to face defeat by by a margin of 50,000 votes.
He said the defeated candidates in Rawalpindi division were made winners. Chattha said he was feeling sorry for his subordinates to whom he forced to commit wrongdoings.
According to him, on 13 seats the winning candidates were made to lose. He alleged that Chief Election Commissioner was also invovled in this rigging. The commissioner said he deserved punishment and should be hanged along with chief election commissioner and chief justice of Pakistan for committing the injustice.
Chattha said at first he tried to commit suicide at Fajr prayer but later he thought he should reveal the truth to all people. He added that he was having sleepless nights after this backstabbing and breach of trust with the people and the country. Chattha said army conducted elections in a fair manner and there was no need for reelection.
He said he saw presiding officers crying over what was happening. Rawalpindi division includes Attock, Murree, Rawalpindi, Jhelum and Chakwal districts.
The commissioner was later arrested by the security froces and shifted to undisclosed location.
PTI DEMANDS INQUIRY INTO ALLEGATIONS: GOHAR
PTI leader Barrister Gohar demanded an immediately inquiry into the allegations leveled by Rawalpindi commissioner Liaquat Ali Chattha. He said the commissioner’s confession had serious repercussions and the beneficiaries of these manipulated elections should also be revealed.
He said his party was of the opinion that returning officers and district returning officers should be appointed from the judiciary.
Barrister Gohar said elections should be declared null and void in Rawalpindi division. He said election results should be based on Form-45.
ECP REJECTS COMMISSIONER’S ALLEGATIONS, ANNOUNCES PROBE
Taking prompt notice of the allegations of results manipulation, the Election Commission of Pakistan said the commission will hold an immediate inquiry into the matter.
The commission strongly rejected the allegations and said any commissioner had no direct role in conduct of elections. He said the commissoner was neither a presiding officer nor a returning or district returning officer.
The spokesperson said any officer or official of elecrtion commission had issued no direction to Rawalpindi commissiner for result tempering.
