LAHORE: Leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Malik Ahmad Khan emphasized on Sunday the urgency for the government to intervene and prevent a recurrence of an incident like May 9 in the country, attributing this concern to recent revelations.
These remarks come shortly after Liaquat Ali Chatha, the former Rawalpindi commissioner, confessed to overseeing rigging and subsequently resigned from his position.
Meanwhile, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and other political factions have been organizing protests against the alleged electoral fraud in the February 8 polls, with PML-N asserting that its electoral mandate has been usurped.
Expressing his apprehensions during a press conference in Lahore alongside PML-N leaders Azma Bukhari and Attaullah Tarar, Malik highlighted the grave nature of the May 9 incident and warned against its recurrence, attributing responsibility to PTI.
He accused PTI, founded by Imran Khan, of conspiring against the state and the Pakistan Army, and criticized their alleged failure to learn from past events.
Malik underscored a concerted effort from PTI’s quarters, alleging a continuation of a conspiracy through propaganda campaigns conducted on social media. He criticized PTI’s tactics, including the dissemination of images of District Returning Officers (DROs) and their families, which he described as intimidating behavior.
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Moreover, Malik urged the interim prime minister and the chief minister of Punjab to intervene in order to address the escalating situation, which he characterized as reminiscent of the May 9 riots.
Regarding the elections and PTI’s allegations, Malik accused PTI of having a track record of refusing to accept electoral defeat. He also downplayed the relevance of the former Rawalpindi commissioner in the electoral process, asserting that his position holds no authority over the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), which governs the District Returning Officers (DROs) and Returning Officers (ROs).
Malik further challenged Chatha to substantiate his claims with evidence, dismissing his statements as baseless. He concluded by likening the current situation to a sequel of the May 9 events, portraying it as a deliberate attempt to sow chaos in the country.
