LAHORE - The Pakistan Tehreek Insaf (PTI) leaders and supporters yesterday celebrated the decision of election tribunal on NA-154 and termed it a successive third victory over the ruling PML-N.
In separate statements, Opposition leader in Punjab Assembly Mian Mehmoodur Rasheed, PTI Punjab organizer Ch Muhammad Serwar and senior leader Ijaz Chaudhary demanded of the chief election commission to remove the provincial members of the ECP and appoint honest candidates on the posts.
Major political parties including PPP and Jamaat-e-Islami have also expressed reservations over the integrity of ECP members.
Punjab election tribunal's commission on Wednesday announced its verdict in favour of Jahangir Tareen over a petition filed by the former secretary general of PTI against alleged rigging in NA-154 (Lodhran) during the 2013 general elections. The tribunal, earlier, ordered re-elections in NA122 and NA125, two key national assembly seats in Lahore where NA speaker Ayaz Sadiq and railways minister Khawaja Saad Rafique were elected respectively. The said NA seats fall in four controversial constituencies where PTI chairman Imran Khan has been demanding vote verification by thumb impression and recount as a test case to judge the rigging in general election.
“It is victory of PTI chairman’s stance on massive rigging in general election. It was proved to the people of Pakistan that PML-N rigged the elections in 2013,” said Ch Serwar during a cut of cake ceremony to mark the decision with party workers here at PTI office. He congratulated party chairman Imran Khan 'as it is his efforts that had resulted in the fall of PML-N's third wicket'.
Mian Mehmmod also demanded of the ECP members to immediately step down “in order to uphold the integrity of the institution and working in the better interest of nation.” He along with other PTI MPA celebrated the tribunal verdict at front of Punjab Assembly and distributed sweets among people.
Ch Ijaz said the government lost the moral stand to rule following the “prove of rigging” in three constituencies out of four the PTI was demanding verification. He said the massive rigging would also prove in the fourth constituency. He also demanded of the resignation of ECP members.
The PTI supporters gathered at Liberty Chowk and other places after the announcement in their party favour and celebrated the day as great victory of Imran Khan’s stand.