Jailed Ex-PM Imran Khan Says Pak Poll Rigging Could Have Been Averted If EVMs Were Used

Islamabad – Former Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan said that poll rigging would not have happened if Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) were used in the recent General Elections in Pakistan. According to the Pakistani news outlet Dawn, the founder of the Pakistani Tehreek-e-Insaaf made the remarks while seeking high treason proceedings against the officials who purportedly stole the “people's mandate” in the General Elections. Imran's comment came a day after some of the supporters of his party staged demonstrations outside the Washington headquarters of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). 

“If there were an electronic voting machine today, the issue of rigging would have been solved in an hour,” Khan told reporters after attending a hearing in the Al-Qadir Trust case. While speaking to reporters from Adiala Jail, the former Pakistani premier endorsed the demonstration outside the IMF office. However, he distanced himself from the anti-party slogans that were raised at the site. “Enmity and treason were committed by stealing the mandate, Article 6 seems to be on it,” he added. 

Khan claims his party won 30 million votes

While speaking to the reporters, Khan claimed that his party garnered over 30 million votes whereas the rest of the 17 political parties jointly secured the same number of votes. He noted that his party took up the irregularities in polls with the IMF and that and insisted that the global lender also pointed out flaws in the electoral process. “First, the PTI was denied its electoral symbol of bat under a conspiracy and then the former ruling party was deprived of its share of reserved seats,” he said, adding that the theft of the mandate was akin to treason, which attracted Article 6 of the Constitution. The PTI supremo also termed the upcoming senate polls as a “fixed match” and alleged that Interior Min­ister Mohsin Naqvi was “rewarded” for his performance because of his “vindictive approach” towards the PTI.  “ECP and the caretaker gov­e­rnment were hand in glove," the Pakistani premier concluded.