Pakistan politician resigns from allegedly rigged seat amid election controversy

A Pakistan politician, Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman of the Jamaat-e-Islami party, has voluntarily relinquished a provincial assembly seat, PS-129 in Karachi, won in the recent national elections. Rehman alleges that the election results were manipulated in his favor, prompting him to reject the victory attributed to him.

Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Rehman stated, “If anyone wants to make us win in an illegitimate manner, we will not be accepting that.” He emphasized the importance of respecting public opinion and ensuring a fair electoral process, urging that winners should rightfully win and losers accept defeat without undue interference.

Rehman claimed that while he received over 26,000 votes, the independent candidate Saif Bari, supported by Imran Khan’s PTI party, actually garnered 31,000 votes, which were misrepresented as only 11,000 votes. Pakistani electoral authorities have refuted these allegations, leaving uncertainty over who will assume the vacated PS-129 seat.

The incident adds to the growing controversy surrounding Pakistan’s recent elections, which have been marred by accusations of widespread vote fraud and interference. Imran Khan’s PTI party faced obstacles as Khan himself is incarcerated since August, and his party was disqualified, forcing PTI candidates to run as independents.

Despite the challenges, voter turnout remained high, with independent candidates, predominantly affiliated with PTI, securing significant victories. PTI has alleged numerous instances of vote rigging and welcomed Rehman’s decision to relinquish the contested seat in Karachi.

Meanwhile, rival parties of Khan, including Nawaz Sharif’s PML-N and Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s PPP, announced a coalition agreement earlier this week to form a government. With PML-N winning 75 seats and PPP securing 54, along with support from smaller parties like the MQM, they are set to comfortably surpass the required 169 seats for government formation.

The coalition’s resurgence marks a shift from Khan’s tenure, during which he faced a vote of no confidence and subsequent legal challenges resulting in imprisonment. Despite Khan’s claims of political persecution and fabricated charges, Pakistan’s caretaker government has denied any wrongdoing in the legal proceedings against him.