- Leaked findings confirm widespread rigging, claims Waqas Akram.
- Govt accused of ignoring inflation, floods, and terrorism threats.
- PTI demands KP merger funds and end to political crackdown.
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Information Secretary has called on the Commonwealth Observer Group to officially release its report on the February 8, 2024, elections, which he described as a “mega polls robbery”, The News reported.
“The robbery laid bare systemic rigging, institutional bias, and deliberate targeting of PTI and its founder, Imran Khan. The report noted that the PTI was stripped of its election symbol (bat) and handed Khan three convictions within days of the polls, effectively barring him from contesting and denying voters a fair choice,” he said in a statement issued on Sunday.
Addressing the plight of inflation-hit citizens, Waqas urged the government to drastically reduce petroleum prices, stressing that people are already burdened by soaring costs and the devastating impact of floods. He accused the regime of showing “criminal indifference” to millions of victims, further exposing what he called its anti-people character.
He maintained that the leaked report validated PTI’s longstanding concerns over widespread rigging, both before and after polling day. According to him, the document also highlighted how courts overturned Nawaz Sharif’s lifetime ban just ahead of nominations, enabling his return to politics while selectively denying PTI participation — a move he described as legal favouritism.
Waqas Akram said the imposed regime made every effort to suppress the report, but leaked findings to the media exposed how systematically and ruthlessly the entire election was manipulated and rigged.
Waqas added it revealed Form 45 discrepancies, with votes altered between polling stations and final counts, alongside manipulated Form 46 and 47 favouring rivals.
“PTI faced mass arrests, office raids, missing leaders coerced to quit, internet blackouts disrupting campaigns, police interference in filings, and selective enforcement of rules, singling out PTI while rivals campaigned freely,” he quoted the report.
Talking about the alarming resurgence of terrorism across the country, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Balochistan, he said that it exposed the regime’s confused, myopic and flawed counter-terrorism strategy once again.
He charged that the government’s coercive tactics to silence dissenting voices and turning a blind eye to the escalating threat of terrorism fueled militancy at an alarming pace.
He said that instead of combating terrorism and safeguarding national security, the regime was singularly focused on crushing his party and its founding chairman, Imran Khan.
Waqas expressed condolences to the soldiers and innocent citizens who continue to bear the cost of the government’s misplaced priorities. Waqas slammed the government’s hypocrisy and incompetence, recalling that over 21 military operations displaced thousands yet brought no compensation, rehabilitation, or peace.
He reminded the nation that under the National Action Plan (NAP), federal and provincial governments had pledged major financial support to KP after the Fata merger for education, healthcare, and jobs to counter militancy.
However, he added that none of those commitments were honoured. Instead, KP was deliberately deprived as punishment for supporting PTI and Imran Khan. He criticised the controversial move to shift the FC headquarters from Peshawar to Islamabad after the renaming of the force, calling it a dangerous politicisation of national security institutions.
He noted that the FC, originally tasked with border security, was now being repurposed to suppress PTI instead of fighting terrorism. PTI spokesman remarked that if the move was truly essential for national security, the regime should also rename the Rangers and shift their offices to Islamabad too.
However, Sheikh Waqas stressed that if the government were truly serious about combating terrorism, it would have ended the brutal crackdown on the opposition, released all political prisoners including Imran Khan, and worked towards a unified, well-thought-out national counterterrorism strategy to eliminate the menace once and for all, instead of wasting time on mudslinging.
He called for the immediate disbursement of the promised merger funds to KP and the clearance of all pending dues, instead of wasting national resources on lavish foreign trips.
