<\/p>\n
Rawalpindi Commissioner Liaquat Ali Chatha made explosive claims on Saturday, asserting that the results of the February 8 general elections were \u201cmanipulated\u201d under his watch. He also resigned from his position.<\/p>\n
Speaking to reporters outside the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Chatha said, \u201cI am taking responsibilty for all this wrongdoing.\u201d He alleged that the chief election commissioner and a top judge of the Supreme Court were \u201cinvolved in this\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe made independent candidates \u2014 who had leads of 70,000-80,000 votes \u2014 lose by putting on fake stamps,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
In a handwritten letter, a copy of which is available with Dawn.com<\/em>, he said he was resigning from his \u201cpost and service\u201d as he was \u201cdeeply involved in serious crime like mega election rigging 2024\u201d.<\/p>\n The letter was addressed to Punjab Governor Haji Ghulam Ali, interim provincial chief minister Mohsin Naqvi and the provincial chief secretary.<\/p>\n When asked if there were \u201cirregularities\u201d in the electoral process and if the local returning officers had delayed the transmission of results, Chatha said that \u201c\u2018irregularities\u2019 is a minor word for it\u201d.<\/p>\n The commissioner further said that \u201cstabbing the country in its back\u201d does not let him sleep.<\/p>\n \u201cI should be punished for the injustice I have done and others who were involved in this injustice should also be punished,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n Earlier, addressing a press conference at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Chatha said there was \u201cpressure\u201d on him to the extent that he contemplated suicide in the morning but then resolved to present matters before the public.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is my request to the entire bureaucracy to not do anything wrong for all these political people,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n Responding to Chatha\u2019s claims, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) said it \u201cstrongly rejected the allegations against the ECP or the chief election commissioner\u201d.<\/p>\n In a press release, the electoral watchdog said none of its officials ever issued any instructions to Chatha for a \u201cchange in the election results\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cNeither is the commissioner of any division ever appointed as a district returning officer, returning office or a presiding officer nor do they ever play a direct role in the conduct of elections,\u201d it asserted.<\/p>\n \u201cHowever, the election commission will conduct an inquiry into the matter as soon as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n Caretaker Punjab Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi ordered an \u201cimpartial probe\u201d into the allegations levelled by Chatha.<\/p>\n Taking notice of the claims in a statement, he directed that a \u201chigh-level committee\u201d be constituted to conduct an inquiry into the matter.<\/p>\n \u201cAn independent inquiry of the allegations will be held,\u201d CM Naqvi asserted, adding that the facts will be brought forward.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, Punjab caretaker Information Minister Amir Mir also rejected the claims made by Chatha.<\/p>\n Speaking to Geo News<\/em>, he said that the commissioner had \u201cnot shown any proof\u201d of the alleged tampering of election results.<\/p>\n