The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has admitted that it mistakenly deemed 4 million voters as dead, the media reported.
According to the details, PTI leader Yasmin Rashid claimed that the ECP had deemed alive people dead on the voter lists. As a result, PTI filed a complaint against errors in the voter list.
Read more: ECP suspends CM’s free electricity scheme till by-polls on July 17
The hearing of the complaint was held at Lahore High Court on Friday where the provincial ECP head admitted to their mistake and said that they deemed 4 million people as dead due to a data operator’s mistake. The date on the voter list is also inaccurate and will be rectified, the ECP Punjab head admitted. The mistakes resulted due to human error, the ECP head claimed, as reported by the media.
However, PTI is claiming that it was an attempt at rigging the upcoming Punjab by-polls scheduled for 17th July.
“This is terrible and extreme incompetency. Their rigging plan stands exposed and now they are not ready to take responsibility. Low-level staff is being blamed after PTI filed a petition. Election Commissioner must resign,” PTI’s Musarrat Cheema tweeted while reacting to the news.
This is terrible and extreme incompetency. Their rigging plan stands exposed and now they're not ready to take responsibility.
Low level staff is being blamed after PTI filed a petition. Election commissioner must resign. pic.twitter.com/mNcTijnRlr— Musarrat Cheema (@MusarratCheema) July 15, 2022
Pre-poll rigging
Important to note that PTI has claimed on several occasions that Punjab by-polls will be rigged in favor of PML-N. Wednesday, PTI petitioned the Election Commission of Pakistan against the Punjab government, alleging that it was violating several polling codes ahead of July 17 by-polls.
The petition – filed by MNA Omar Ayub – claimed that the voter lists of the 20 constituencies had been altered and that government officials were being used to ensure that the PML-N candidates won the by-polls.
The PTI further said that the way things are, “no free, fair, transparent, or impartial elections can be held” in Punjab. The petition added that even after the election date was issued, developmental work was announced in various constituencies, which is a “clear violation of Section 181 of the Election Act of 2017”.
Read more: Imran Khan accuses Mr. X & Mr. Y of rigging Punjab polls