‘Election Rigged In My Favour’ – Pakistani Politician Resigns

In a remarkable display of political integrity, Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman, a candidate from the Jamaat-e-Islami party, has relinquished his recently won provincial assembly seat, PS-129, in Karachi, citing election rigging in his favor.

Rehman, who was initially declared the winner with over 26,000 votes, made the startling revelation that the electoral process was manipulated to disadvantage his opponent, a Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party-backed independent candidate, Saif Bari.

According to Rehman, detailed scrutiny of the votes polled at individual stations showed a significant discrepancy in Bari’s vote count, which was allegedly reduced from 31,000 to 11,000 votes, thereby skewing the result in his favor.

This development has cast a shadow over the electoral process in one of Pakistan’s most populous cities, raising serious concerns about the integrity of the vote.

The situation is further complicated by the political backdrop involving Imran Khan, the former Prime Minister of Pakistan, who is currently serving jail time over corruption and criminal charges following a fallout with the country’s military establishment.

The PTI, Khan’s party, was barred from contesting the elections, leading its members, including Bari, to run as independents.

Rehman’s decision to step down was announced at a press conference held by his party, where he was quoted saying, “If anyone wants to make us win in an illegitimate manner, we will not be accepting that. Public opinion should be respected, let the winner win, let the loser lose, no one should get anything extra.”

His stance has been lauded as a rare act of political honesty and respect for democratic values.

Despite the allegations, Pakistani electoral authorities have denied any wrongdoing in the electoral process.

The controversy leaves the fate of the PS-129 seat uncertain, with no clear indication of who will ultimately represent the constituency.

This incident has sparked a broader debate on electoral fairness and transparency in Pakistan, highlighting the need for stringent measures to safeguard the democratic process.