Imran Khan's PTI Alleges Massive Voter Fraud, Opts for Opposition Role in Center and Punjab

Pakistan's political landscape heats up as Imran Khan's PTI alleges widespread voter fraud in the recent elections. PTI opts to sit in opposition in both the National Assembly and Punjab, while the Supreme Court gears up to address petitions questioning the validity of the elections.

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Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) announced its decision to sit in the opposition in both the National Assembly and the Punjab Provincial Assembly, alleging widespread voter fraud in the recent elections. This move comes despite PTI winning a significant number of seats in the elections. Barrister Ali Saif, speaking on behalf of PTI, emphasized that their decision to sit in opposition stands, even though they believe they should have been in power if the election results had not been tampered with. He pointed to Form 45 as evidence that their candidates had won, suggesting that the results were altered. The party's leadership, under the direction of Imran Khan, made the decision public in Islamabad.

PTI also announced plans for "peaceful protests" against the alleged rigging in the elections and has called upon other political parties to join them in their agitation. Despite winning a considerable number of seats, PTI was stripped of its electoral symbol and prevented from contesting in the elections, leaving them unable to form a government independently.

In the aftermath of the elections, PTI has been actively seeking alliances. They announced their secretary general, Omar Ayub Khan, as the candidate for Prime Minister, and expressed intentions to ally with other parties such as the Majlis Wahdat-i-Muslimeen (MWM) and Jamaat-i-Islami. However, negotiations hit a snag when Jamaat-i-Islami refused to engage in talks.

Furthermore, PTI has accused the election process of being marred by fraud, claiming that at least 85 seats they won were unfairly taken away from them. Raoof Hasan, PTI's Central Information Secretary, asserted that the elections would be remembered as the "biggest voter fraud" in Pakistan's history. The party is gathering evidence to support its claims and intends to pursue legal avenues to challenge the election outcomes.

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Meanwhile, Pakistan's Supreme Court is set to hear a petition demanding the nullification of the election results. Filed by a citizen named Ali Khan, the petition seeks fresh elections under judicial supervision within 30 days. It also calls for a stay order on the formation of the new government until the case is resolved. The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and the federal government have been named as respondents in the case.

Protests have erupted across various regions of Pakistan, including Balochistan and Sindh, with political parties demanding recounts and questioning the validity of the declared outcomes. The National Party, PPP, JUI, BAP, BNP-Mengal, PkMAP, and PkNAP have been actively involved in demonstrations, adding to the political turmoil gripping the nation.