As 75 international delegates from 23 countries arrived to watch Lok Sabha elections here, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar on Sunday emphasised that this is to foster a culture of transparency and its commitment to high standards of electoral practices amidst the democratic nations.

CEC Rajiv Kumar expressed pleasure that on India’s invitation, the 75 international visitors from election management bodies (EMBs) of 23 countries are here to witness the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

“There are around ten or more chairmen and the chief equivalent of chief election commissioners of the different countries who are here,” he said.

“This is in line with our established policy of disclosing, working from the position of strength that we have nothing to hide. So we are inviting them,” Kumar added.

Sharing on social media X, CEC Rajiv Kumar stated, “CEC Rajiv Kumar addresses over 75 international delegates from 23 EMBs at the inaugural session of International Election Visitors Prog held today at New Delhi. Delegates given an overview of various facets of gigantic election exercise in world’s largest democracy!”

The international delegates will be visiting five cities and five states and will also visit the polling booths to see how the “democratic festival is being transparently celebrated in India.”

The invited delegates represent various EMBs and organisations from 23 countries namely – Bhutan, Mongolia, Australia, Madagascar, Fiji, Kyrgyz Republic, Russia, Moldova, Tunisia, Seychelles, Cambodia, Nepal, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, Bangladesh, Kazakhstan, Georgia, Chile, Uzbekistan, Maldives, Papua New Guinea and Namibia.

“The press is there, political parties are there, and agents are there. That’s why we have invited them to go and visit…,” he noted.

Moreover, this batch of delegates is here for Phase 3, Kumar added that there may be some more coming in the fourth and fifth phases.

Emphasising that they have made very robust planning at the polling stations, Rajiv Kumar said, “It is everybody’s right, everybody’s responsibility to come and vote. More of a right.”

The CEC further appealed people to to come in large numbers to vote.

“Percentages in both the phases have been 66 and plus, which is a good percentage but surely, in phase three and onwards, voters will cross that also,” Kumar assured.

Along with these 23 nations, members from the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES), and media teams from Bhutan and Israel will also participate.

The electoral body of India said that it exemplifies its commitment to conducting general elections of the highest standards, offering a golden bridge for the EMBs to witness democratic excellence first-hand. (ANI)

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The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has demanded an independent inquiry after Pakistan’s former caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Hanif Abbasi got into a heated exchange, The Express Tribune reported.

A PTI spokesperson said the heated exchange between the two leaders served as an insight to expose the alleged stealing of its electoral malfeasance, according to the report.

After the exchange of words between Kakar and Abbasi, PTI demanded a judicial commission to hold accountable those involved in the wheat import scheme and electoral manipulation. The spokesperson demanded a thorough investigation to uncover the truth behind the alleged manipulation of election results and the fabrication of Form-47.

PTI’s statement came after reports detailed a tense confrontation between Kakar and Abbasi. During the heated exchange, Kakar purportedly issued a warning, suggesting that revealing certain information about Form-47 could leave the party nowhere to hide, according to The Express Tribune report.

Tensions between the two leaders started over the wheat scandal during a meeting at a private hotel, The Express Tribune reported, citing the sources familiar with the matter. Abbasi allegedly faced criticism for blaming Kakar’s tenure as Pakistan’s Caretaker PM for a wheat scam during a television interview.

In its statement, PTI criticized Kakar’s alleged intimidation tactics, particularly considering his constitutional obligation to ensure fair and transparent polls. Imran Khan’s party demanded a transparent probe into the matter considering the gravity of the accusations exchanged between the two leaders.

PTI spokesperson called for the need for accountability and stressed that rather than admitting their faults, those accused of electoral manipulation and mismanagement are resorting to blame-shifting, The Express Tribune reported.

The spokesperson emphasized the repercussions of alleged mismanagement under the Kakar-led government, especially the wheat crisis, which has affected farmers and necessitated costly wheat imports. Imran Khan’s party criticized the federal government’s handling of the wheat import probe, terming it a ‘dubious event’ to shield wrongdoers.

On May 2, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) issued a white paper on alleged rigging in the February 8 general elections, and demanded the formation of the judicial commission to probe the “snatching of the 180 seats,” reported Geo News.

While addressing a press conference on Thursday, PTI chairman Barrister Gohar said, “We won 180 seats in the (February 8) elections. Our seats were given to other parties through Form 47.”

The PTI chief emphasized that they had filed a petition in the apex court against the alleged rigging.”But the plea has not been fixed for hearing as yet,” Gohar lamented.

“We are issuing a 300-page white paper to bring it to the notice of the people as to how their mandate was stolen,” Barrister Gohar said, reported Geo News.

Notably, the PTI-backed independent candidates won the most National Assembly seats in recent general elections followed by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP).

However later, the PML-N with the support of the other parties, including the PPP formed a coalition government in the centre and later became the single largest party in the lower house of the parliament following the allocation of the reserved seats.

Underscoring the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) decision to declare the party’s intra-party polls as invalid, the PTI chief said that his party was forced to contest the general elections without its iconic ‘bat’ electoral symbol.

“Our victory was turned into defeat by (manipulating) election results in the Form 47,” he added.

Moreover, Gohar stressed that the white paper is based on the reports of international organizations, foreign media and newspapers. He further called for carrying out the electoral reforms to eliminate rigging in the polls once and for all. (ANI)

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Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) gave a countrywide peaceful protest call on March 2 against the biggest mandate theft, which was called as mother of all rigging, urging all democratic forces to join the peaceful protest against the polls robbery so as to take the stolen public mandate back.

PTI senior leader Sher Afzal Marwat made the announcement during a press conference along with the PTI Balochistan leadership and central party leaders held to expose the massive election rigging carried out against PTI in Balochistan, who were denied victory despite clear lead for standing firmly with their leader Imran Khan even in the face of all threats and intimidations.

PTI central leaders Ali Muhmmad Khan, Shandana Gulzar Khan, Zain Qureshi, Meher Bano Qureshi, PTI’s candidates from Balochistan including Salar Khan Kakar, Ghaffar Kakar, Sardar Babar Musakhel, Noor Khan Khilji, Sardar Doda Shahwani and Saddam Tareen were present on the occasion.

Speaking on the occasion, Sher Afzal Marwat announced that the unlawfully incarcerated party Chairman-for-life Imran Khan directed that the nation should stage a peaceful protest across the country on Saturday against the large scale polls heist on the February 8 elections.

He said that during a meeting with Imran Khan, he was entrusted with responsibility to lead the PTI’s protest in Islamabad on Saturday between 11 and 12 noon.

Marwat stated that if the nation did not raise voice against mega polls theft, democracy would never flourish in Pakistan.

Speaking about the mega polls robbery in Balochistan, PTI leader said that the issue of election rigging in Balochistan was presented before the ECP but of no good, while the electoral watchdog was too quick to decide cases against PTI, as the party’s candidate’s victory was converted into defeat in recount.

Speaking on the occasion, Ali Muhmmad Khan said that the fundamental rights of the people of Pakistan were stolen through large scale rigging across the country especially in Balochistan.

He stressed that the public should be allowed to exercise its right to choose a government. He said that PTI did not against any party or institution but they wanted the public mandate must be respected.

Ali Muhammad Khan stated that PTI wanted to make it ensure that the decisions concerning the country should be taken inside the country rather than taking them in London or Washington.

About Maryam Nawaz’s election as the chief minister of Punjab, he said that he had nothing against her and would have congratulated the PML-N leader if she had won her seat through votes.

Ali Muhammad Khan asked: “The common man has the right to elect his representatives after five years, which his last weapon to fix the country, if you take away this right from him and install viceroys of your choice, then what will happen to them?”

“It is not a personal fight, it is a matter of people’s mandate. If we want to save democracy in Pakistan, then give it to the one who has the mandate,” he added.

“We requested CJP to probe into Commissioner Rawalpindi allegations regarding the massive polls theft,” he demanded.

PTI senior leader Zain Qureshi stated: “We stand with our Balochistan brothers because this war is neither for any individual nor for PTI rather this battle is for the mandate of the people of Pakistan.”

“We also assure the people that we will fight for their rights until getting the stolen public mandate back,” Zain Qureshi vowed.

On the occasion, Shandana Gulzar Khan urged that on Saturday, a peaceful protest would be held against the thieves who stole the mandate of the people of Pakistan.

Talking about mega polls theft in Balochistan, Salar Khan Kakar said that a large scale elections rigging was carried out in Balochistan, as seats were sold among the contractors, smugglers and apolitical figures.

He pointed that public mandated was stolen in the darkness of the night, as he secured clear victory as per form 45 but a PML-N’s candidate who was at eight position in the race was declared triumphant fraudulently, as office personnel denied him entry into the RO’s office despite waiting outside the office all the night.

Salar Khan recalled that Nawabzada Riasani’s statement was on the record who categorically refused to take the seat in charity because he was a respectable tribal elder.
PTI’s candidate for PB-41 Quetta Ghafar Kakar said that a letter was written to him, wherein he was warned of consequences if he did not halt elections campaign. However, he stated that he run his election campaign more vigorously, adding that they were present at the RO office to take form 47 but they were kicked out by the FC personnel to manipulate the results and declared the runner-up who belonged to Afghanistan as victorious fraudulently.

PTI’s candidate for PB-39 Quetta Haji Noor Khan Khalji said that people of Quetta, Balochistan, like the whole of Pakistan, came out in huge number and voted for Imran Khan. “We were contacted at night and were asked that if we would stay with Imran Khan, they would not let us win,” he revealed.

He said that he was winning with clear margin on February 8 but they defeated him on February 9 by manipulating elections results.

PTI’s candidate for NA 253 Balochistan Saddam Tarin stated that they had all form 45, which clearly showed PTI’s candidates victorious at various constituencies including NA-253.

He said that PTI’s mandate was stolen in midnight by mandate thieves. However, PTI’s candidate made it clear that they would not surrender and was ready to render any sacrifice to get the stolen public mandate back because the people had given that mandate for the release of incarcerated PTI Chairman-for-life Imran Khan.

PTI’s candidate for NA-252 Alam Khan said that he won the seat with margin of 30,000 as per form 45; however, he was defeated three days later by 2,000 on form 47.
“I got 52,000 votes, runner-up 28,000 and who declared victorious secured 22,000 votes and was at the fourth position,” he added. (Pakistan Today)

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