“EC should look into rigging allegations”

In an unusual move, Pakistan President Mamnoon Hussain in his Independence Day address, raised the issue of alleged rigging in the July 25 elections and asked the election commission to look into the complaints of political parties to make the poll process “fully transparent”.

Addressing an official function held at the Jinnah Convention centre here to commemorate the country’s 72nd Independence Day, Hussain said it is crucial for the country to make state institutions powerful and independent.

Various political parties have alleged that elections won by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf of cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan were not fair and demanded a probe. Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shahbaz Sharif has alleged that “historical rigging” took place during the July 25 elections.

A staunch ally of cricketer-turned politician Imran Khan was elected speaker of Pakistan’s lower house, a key position to support Khan’s legislative agenda after he won a disputed election last month.

Asad Qaiser, a Khan loyalist, defeated Pakistan Peoples Party candidate Syed Khurshid Shah, who was backed by lawmakers from the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) that held power last term. Qaiser won by 176 votes to 146.

Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party won 116 of the 272 elected seats in the National Assembly, which is expected to vote in the former sportsman as prime minister on Friday. A swearing-in ceremony is scheduled for Saturday. “Mr. Asad Qaiser has been declared to have been elected as speaker of the national assembly of Pakistan,” said outgoing speaker Ayaz Sadiq.

Qaiser previously served as the speaker of the provincial assembly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa from 2013 to 2018. He was elected to the National Assembly for the first time in last month’s polls.