Rawalpindi Commissioner Liaquat Ali Chatta has admitted to election rigging amid controversy spreading across Pakistan over claims of unfair general election results.
During a press conference at Pindi Cricket Stadium, Chatta confessed to manipulating election results to benefit 13 defeated candidates by adding between 70,000 to 80,000 fake votes each. He told the reporters that authorities in Rawalpindi, Punjab province, changed the results of PTI-backed independent candidates who were initially leading.
Chatta’s confessional statement raises further questions about the legitimacy of the elections held on 8 February, already shadowed by controversies and rigging allegations in Pakistan.
Chatta said he faced immense “pressure” to the point of considering suicide, but then decided to make a public confession. “I take responsibility for the wrongdoing in Rawalpindi. I should be punished for my crimes, and so should other individuals involved in this crime.” He also issued an apology to his returning officers (ROs), who were forced to compromise their ethics.
Moreover, Chatta accused the Chief Election Commissioner and the Chief Justice of Pakistan in the scandal, demanding their resignations.
The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, Qazi Faez Isa, the Election Commission, and the Pakistan Muslim League (N) have all denied Chatta’s allegations.
The Election Commission said that a commissioner’s role does not directly influence election results and has initiated an inquiry into the allegations. Meanwhile, the Pakistan Muslim League (N) has dismissed Chatta’s claims as a tactic for attention-seeking ahead of his retirement.
The caretaker Chief Minister of Punjab, Mohsin Naqvi, has taken notice of Chatta’s allegations, ordering an “impartial probe” into allegations of manipulation of the election results. The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has also called for a “high-level” investigation.