Aitzaz issues white paper on NA-124 rigging allegations

LAHORE: Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) on Monday issued a white paper on alleged rigging in NA-124 constituency during the 2013 general election.

Speaking at a press conference held in connection to his wife’s constituency in Lahore, he claimed that seals of 107 polling bags out of 264 were broken, while 38 were not sealed at all.

Ahsan said that he was not hurling allegations as 227 certificates of Returning Officers (ROs) were also part of the white paper.

“No lions [PML-N’s electoral symbol] were found from the bags,” he said in sarcasm referring to recent statements made by leaders of the ruling party. Ahsan added that stamps, counterfoils and other poll documents were also missing from the bags.

The PPP leader, however, ruled out any protest movement against the government in this regard.

Speaking on the occasion, former information minister Qamar Zaman Kaira said that the PPP had no plans of toppling the PML-N government. However, bringing facts out in front was their prerogative.

He said action can be taken against those who stole public mandate under public representation act. “Rigging proof in a constituency or two doesn't make the whole election invalid,” Kaira remarked.