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Friday April 26, 2024

The definition of rigging

We have gone through a highly tumultuous and charged atmosphere after the 2013 elections and are still surrounded by rigging talk despite finalisation of the Judicial Commission report. This is because the word ‘rigging’ has yet to be defined in the country. We seem to be confused between irregularities, misconduct

By our correspondents
August 01, 2015
We have gone through a highly tumultuous and charged atmosphere after the 2013 elections and are still surrounded by rigging talk despite finalisation of the Judicial Commission report. This is because the word ‘rigging’ has yet to be defined in the country. We seem to be confused between irregularities, misconduct and rigging. Politicians are accusing the PTI of wasting two years by staging sit-ins and slowing down the speed of progress in the country. How did the dharna contribute towards the failure of project after project such as the Nandipur Power Project, laptop, and the sasti roti, yellow cab and Youth Rozgar schemes?
The core issue before the commission was to find out whether the 2013 general elections were held in a transparent manner as per the constitution. The commission’s verdict seems to please all and offend none. On the one hand the commission report says that the PTI asking for a probe into rigging allegations was genuine while on the other it has held that the polls were free and fair except some irregularities here and there and that the Election Commission failed to follow the constitution. It is time both the PTI and the PML-N shunned their differences and moved forward in the public interest.
Raja Shafaatullah
Islamabad