LAHORE - PPP leader Aitzaz Ahsan Monday issued a white paper on alleged rigging in NA-124 constituency during the 2013 general elections.
Addressing a press conference at Lahore Press Club, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate Aitzaz Ahsan issued white paper to show discrepancies from the constituency from where his wife Bushra Aitzaz contested elections. He said seals of 107 out of 264 polling bags were broken while 38 were not sealed.
“No lion came out of the bags, however, cats were seen running out of the bags while the cats were fighting with each other,” he criticised the results of NA-124.
However, he rejected the possibilities of a protest campaign by joining hands with other political forces against the government to probe the last general elections. Aitzaz further said inquiry held previously revealed that majority of votes were invalid as counterfoils were unsigned, unstamped. He also included 227 certificates in his white paper.  Former federal minister for information and broadcasting Qamar Zaman Kaira was also present. Kaira said that they would not go against the democratic system, however, they would unfold the facts.
Answering to a question, the PPP leaders said that the action could be taken against those who stole the mandate of people of Pakistan under Representation of Peoples Act, 1976. They said that rigging in one or two constituencies did not mean that the entire election would be declared void.
Sheikh Rohail Asgher of the PML-N returned to the National Assembly from NA-124 by defeating PTI’s Waleed Iqbal and PPP’s Bushra Aitzaz.
Both of the losing candidates filed petitions in the tribunal, challenging Asghar’s victory. The petitioners alleged that rigging took place and fake votes were cast during polling on May 11, 2013.
On July 1, 2014, an election tribunal had dismissed the petitions filed by PPP and PTI against NA-124, and declared the result of the constituency concerned fair.