ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Central Secretary General Asad Umar said that the PTI rejected the most-rigged Local government (LG) elections held in Karachi and Hyderabad divisions, demanding the election watchdog to declare the elections null and void and announce fresh polls forthwith.

Addressing a press conference here on Thursday, he said that the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) stole the public mandate in the LG polls of Karachi by use of force, coercion and intimidation, which the PTI would not accept in any way.

Asad said that rigging started on the morning of the election day as video posted on social media showed election staff stamping ballot papers, adding that even balloting material was also sent to some polling stations with delay.

He said that PTI leader Amjad Afridi told in the video clearly how 1000 votes were brought to the polling station. However, he said that Amjad Afridi was arrested and tortured rather to take actions against those who rigged the polls.

Asad further said that the election staff was pressurized but the ECP seemed helpless and miserably failed to conduction free, fair and transparent elections. He further said that Rabistan Khan exposed rigging in Manghopir, but the police arrested and tortured him. He went on to say that those protesting against the rigging were arrested and FIRs were lodged against the members of PTI and the parliament including Saeed Afridi, Bilal Ghaffar and Adeel Ahmed.

He said the LG polls were delayed several times as the PDM wanted to steal the mandate, adding that a dangerous game was played in Karachi, as every effort was being made to push the metropolitan against the wall, as those who were voted by the people were deprived of their mandate.

He said that even seats of Jamaat-e-Islami were also taken away, hence they rejected the polls and demanded resignation of the members of the electoral body.

Asad stated that the city was deprived of water, and the most tax-paying city was getting nothing in return, adding that this has been done by proper planning to deprive Karachi of its basic rights.

He said that despite the passage of 48 hours, the results were not released, adding that the DROs said that the government was pressuring them. He said that those who ruled for 6 times did not give anything to Karachi, so how people of the metropolitan could vote for PPP.