Approaching the Supreme Court on Wednesday, Imran Khan, the imprisoned founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), sought the establishment of a judicial commission to investigate the general elections held on February 8. Khan, who has been detained at Adiala jail since August last year due to his convictions in multiple cases, alleges “rigging” and has filed a plea with the apex court, citing “manipulation and fraud in the election results.”
The plea, presented by senior lawyer Hamid Khan on behalf of the incarcerated politician, urges the Supreme Court to constitute a judicial commission comprising unbiased serving judges to “examine, audit, and inquire into the manner and process of the general elections of February 8, 2024, and subsequent developments that led to the fabrication of false and fraudulent results, reversing the outcomes for winners and losers.”
Khan’s plea further prays for the immediate suspension of all consequential actions related to forming governments at the federal and Punjab levels until the judicial commission completes its investigation and discloses its findings to the public. The plea emphasizes the necessity of taking actions in the nation’s best interest, safeguarding its electoral mandate and constitutional framework.
Government, ECP & Major Parties named respondentsÂ
It highlights the failure of the ECP to uphold its duties as outlined in the Constitution, accusing the electoral authority of appointing biased Returning Officers (ROs) who facilitated the massive rigging and manipulation of the elections. The petition notes that since the elections, several political parties and independent candidates have raised concerns about the transparency of the polling process, leading to protests and rallies across the country.
Named as respondents in the plea are the government, Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), and Mutahidda Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P). The petition alleges that the general elections were openly rigged and the results were manipulated, breaching the public trust and violating the country’s Constitution.
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The PTI, in particular, has vehemently criticized the alleged tampering with its electoral mandate, claiming that 85 National Assembly seats were unlawfully taken from them. The party has denounced the electoral manipulation as a severe blow to democracy and accused the ECP of colluding in a conspiracy to undermine the elected PTI members’ mandate on frivolous grounds.
Furthermore, the PTI has announced plans for peaceful protests nationwide, rejecting speculations of forming alliances with other parties and reaffirming its stance against electoral malpractice and injustice.