Aziz’s victory due to rigging, says PML-N

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has alleged that Shaukat Aziz’s success in the by-elections was the result of state-sponsored rigging.

“Mr Aziz was not qualified to contest under Articles 62 and 63 of the Constitution because he had concealed his assets. We do not recognise him as a legally elected member of the National Assembly and it will only be a de-facto appointment if he takes over as the prime minister,” said PML-N Information Secretary Muhammad Siddiqul Farooq in a press statement on Thursday. Mr Farooq said that Mr Aziz had also violated election rules and the income tax laws and was not entitled to contest the elections. He alleged that the chief election commissioner also acted partially when he refused to take notice of Mr Aziz’s false asset statement.

The PML-N leader said the government used its administrative machinery and financial resources in the by-election campaign. The three PPPP workers were murdered just two days before the polling to terrorise party activists and voters, he added. Mr Farooq said that Sindh Chief Minister Arbab Ghulam Rahim had obtained 86,000 votes from Tharparkar in October 2002 general elections against 35,000 votes secured by the PPPP candidate.

“Now Mr Aziz is said to have obtained over 134,000 votes from the same constituency against 10,000 votes of the PPPP candidate. Similarly, the PML candidate got 65,000 votes from the Attock constituency while the PPPP candidate obtained 41,000 votes in the last general elections. But now Mr Aziz is said to have obtained 75,000 votes against 29,000 votes of the PPPP candidate.” The PML-N leader said that a journalist had already challenged the legitimacy of Mr Aziz’s candidature with the election commission. staff report

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