'We convert losers into winners': Rawalpindi Commissioner Liaquat Ali Chattha resigns for rigging Pak poll results

Amid former prime minister Imran Khan’s call for nationwide protests against alleged rigging in Pakistan polls, Rawalpindi Commissioner Liaquat Ali Chattha on Saturday resigned from his office after claiming that the results of the February 8 polls were manipulated.

“We convert the losers into winners with 50,000 votes margin. I did injustice to the people of Rawalpindi Division,” Chattha said as he surrendered himself to the police.

The Rawalpindi Commissioner said that he was put under “pressure” to exploit his power to an extent where he even considered “committing suicide.”

کمشنر راولپنڈی لیاقت علی چھٹہ کا مستعفی ہونے کا فیصلہ
میں راولپنڈی ڈویژن میں انتخابی دھاندلی کی ذمہ داری قبول کرتا ہوں۔انتخابی دھاندلی پر اپنے آپ کو پولیس کے حوالے کرتا ہوں۔بیورو کریسی سیاسی دباؤ میں ہے میں نے پہلے خود کشی کا فیصلہ بھی کیا۔ کمشنر راولپنڈی pic.twitter.com/jl7gNwivuO

— Muhammad Umair (@MohUmair87) February 17, 2024

“I apologize to the returning officers of my division. It is my request to the entire bureaucracy to not do anything wrong for all these politicians,” Chattha added as he made the claims at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.

Reacting to Chattha’s announcement, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) said, “Chief Election Commissioner must immediately resign after this statement by Commissioner Rawalpindi.”

Chief Election Commissioner must immediately resign after this statement by Commissioner Rawalpindi.

NA and PP seats have been massively rigged! https://t.co/avXdH85Mod

— PTI (@PTIofficial) February 17, 2024

Meanwhile, Khan’s PTI has decided to sit in the Opposition in Parliament while launching a countrywide protest against alleged rigging in the elections after its efforts to form the next government failed.

The major political parties in Pakistan have stepped up efforts to form a federal government after the February 8 elections delivered a split verdict.

While Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party-backed independent candidates dominated the election results, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) claimed to have enough numbers to form the government as some independents joined the Nawaz Sharif-led party post-polls.

With inputs from agencies