NA-75 by-election rigged openly, claims Khaqan Abbasi

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader and former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said on Saturday that the party had demanded extra time from the authorities for voting in NA-75, Daska but was denied, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

Talking to the media in Islamabad along with PML-N Spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb, Khaqan Abbasi said elections were rigged in the constituency openly. “An attempt was made to rig the by-elections in a manner that even a fool would not do,” he commented.

The PML-N leader added it was unfortunate that the presiding officers of 20 polling stations, out of a total 361, in NA-75 had gone missing along with the relevant record.

As per the results received from 341 polling stations, PML-N was leading by a wide margin. “But now the results from 20 polling stations have been withheld,” he said, and regretted, “When there is no fear of the law, then such things happen.”

The former prime minister accused assistants and advisers to the prime minister of roaming around freely in the Daska constituency along with armed guards. “But sadly, there was none to hold them accountable for that,” he lamented.

Khaqan Abbasi said these 20 polling stations were about 15 to 20 kilometers from the returning officer’s (RO) office. “The results received from 341 polling stations which were around 60 to 70 kilometers from the RO’s office have been made public, but ironically the results from the closest polling stations are still awaited,” he lamented.

He said as per eyewitnesses’ account, some men in plainclothes came and took presiding officers with them. “The ROs were not ready to listen to us as they were under intense pressure,” the PML-N leader said, and added this was proved by the events that took place late Friday night.