Senator Mushtaq’s Blasting Speech in Senate
- Bullet has hijacked ballot on 8th February.
- Even Afghan citizens have been announced member parliaments in Peshawar.
- Judiciary, Election Commission, Caretaker government and establishment are responsible for this fraud .
- It was rape of ballot papers, ballot box and fundamental rights.
- Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja resign from his post and proceedings under Article 6 (high treason) of the Constitution be initiated against him.
Jamaat-i-Islami’s Senator Mushtaq Ahmad passed these remarks in his last session of upper house of parliament on Tuesday
During the session, a number of senators raised concerns regarding allegations of poll rigging and last week’s press conference by former Rawalpindi commissioner Liaqat Ali Chattha wherein he had accused the Election Commission of Pakistan and Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa of involvement in the “rigging” — a claim denied by the electoral watchdog and the top judge.
Speaking during today’s Senate session, Senator Mushtaq said:
“Chairman Sahib the country witnessed the worst-ever rigging on Feb 8. These were fake elections and whatever government is formed on the basis of these polls would be fake.”
He demanded that the ECP should apologies for failing to fulfil its constitutional responsibility and the CEC should resign.
“Proceedings should be initiated against him under Article 6 of the Constitution and the Rs5 billion that was spent on the elections should be recovered those responsible for rigging,” the JI senator said.
He further claimed that four departments — the ECP, caretaker government, judiciary and establishment — had “stolen the mandate of the public”.
Mushtaq also read out loud Article 6, adding that the ECP was bound to ensure that the elections were free, fair, transparent and lawful. “But none of this was ensured in the Feb 8 elections and, therefore, the election commission should be tried under high treason,” he asserted.
The senator lamented that the nation was bearing an increase in the costs of electricity, gas and other essentials, claiming that all this money was being given to the ECP.
“This will be a strange government where the prime minister was selected first and then elections were held. I believe this is not just rigging but this is the rape of the ballot paper, ballot box and the nation’s fundamental right,” he said.
Mushtaq went on to say that the Feb 8 polls lost their credibility the moment mobile and internet services were suspended on election Day.
“For the past three days, there has been a clamp down on social media platform Twitter [now X]. Why? Because rigging has taken place and you are not facing it because you are scared,” he alleged.
This, the senator continued, was a theft of the people’s digital rights which would not be accepted.
Referring to Chattha’s press conference, he said the ex-commissioner had “exposed” the Feb 8 elections. “You can see that the situation was something else on Feb 8 and it completely changed on Feb 9,” he said.
Mushtaq also lauded JI’s Karachi Emir Naeemur Rehman for forfeiting his Sindh Assembly seat. “Deals were made beforehand, and results were announced according to that. This is a big question which should be investigated,” he claimed.
The senator added that those involved in alleged poll rigging were playing with Pakistan’s future. “Elections are supposed to pull the country out of the crisis, but these polls just increased all our economic and political challenges,” he said.
“I want to ask, what message are you giving to the public by this? That some civil servants will decide for the nation behind closed doors?” Mushtaq asked in the fiery speech.
‘People’s decision loud and clear’ … Bullet has hijacked ballot
Meanwhile, PTI Senator Barrister Ali Zafar stated that the people of Pakistan, particularly the youth, had announced their decision in favor of incarcerated party chief Imran Khan on Feb 8.
“It is a revolution of the vote and in favor of democracy,” he said. “Despite the incidents of pre- and post-poll rigging, they have given a decision loud and clear.
“A government without legitimacy and mandate will only fail,” he added.
PTI Senator Walid Iqbal noted that the word ‘election’ in Pakistan’s Constitution meant that it was not the mere casting or counting of votes but was rather “an entire process”.
“But whatever happened throughout this process — which includes snatching of nomination papers, depriving a party of its electoral symbol and raids — proves that the electoral process was tainted,” he claimed.
Iqbal further highlighted that the CEC had assured the nation that provisional results, on the basis of Form 45s, would be announced by midnight. “But this did not happen, everything is in front of us,” he pointed out. Meanwhile, PML-N Senator Irfan Siddiqui stated that it was true that Pakistan’s electoral history was not perfect, noting that this situation had persisted for several decades. Advising Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf he said “Come to the Parliament and register your protest […] it is time that the politics of confrontation ends”.