ISLAMABAD: hours after the Returning Officer announced official results for the NA-122 by-elections in Lahore, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Monday said that his party was investigating "the number of PTI votes thrown out of NA-122 at the last minute."
"We are investigating the number of PTI votes thrown out of NA122 at the last minute & will then approach the ECP," said the PTI chairman in a message posted on social media website Twitter.
Former National Assembly Speaker and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) candidate Ayaz Sadiq regained the NA-122 seat by a thin margin, bagging 74,525 votes against 72,082 votes received by PTI candidate Aleem Khan.
Although the PTI accepted the by-poll results, it blamed the ruling PML-N of pre-poll rigging by using state machinery for their campaign, and complained that several voters' names who had been previously registered in NA-122 had now been moved to other constituencies.
Imran said the PTI will investigate the missing votes and approach the Election Commission of Pakistan.
2/2 We will learn from our mistakes & counter those rigging tactics by PMLN that we were not prepared for again.
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) October 12, 2015
Special congratulations to Aleem Khan for his hard work and persistence against 2 PMLN governmental machineries.
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) October 12, 2015
Congratulations go to Aleem Khan for an epic fight against Punjab & Fed govts; & to Shoaib Siddiqui for winning PP 147.
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) October 12, 2015
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