Pakistan poll official quits over rigging, owns up wrongdoing

Amid state of confusion in forming Pakistan's government, a senior Pakistani bureaucrat on Saturday alleged that the chief election commissioner and the chief justice were involved in poll rigging in the recent elections.

After taking the "responsibility for all this wrongdoing", former Rawalpindi Commissioner Liaquat Ali Chattha resigned from his post.

Former Prime Minister Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party has been protesting nationwide against alleged rigging and stealing its mandate in the February 8 elections.

Speaking to reporters, Chattha said the candidates who were losing the elections were made to win.

He also added that he should be punished for the injustice he had done towards the country. He also urged the officials involved in the rigging to be punished.

The former bureaucrat said there was pressure on him to the extent that he contemplated suicide but then resolved to present matters before the public.

Meanwhile the Pakistan Election Commission has rejected the allegations of poll-rigging.

However, the commission said it would investigate the matter.

Earlier, Punjab caretaker Information Minister Amir Mir has also rejected the claims of manipulation of election results made by Chattha.

He also said that Chattha was retiring on March 13 and he was trying to kick start his political career.

Independent candidates- backed by the PTI had won 93 of the 265 assembly seats. While, former PM Nawaz Sharif’s PML-N won 75 seats and PPP came third with 54 seats.