As a successful lawyer, Salman Akram Raja could've easily been another quiet onlooker.
Instead he participated: against rigging as far back as the Asghar Khan case; or raising his voice for victims where only fear prevailed. He did it for all of us.
Please raise your voice now.
Painting the PTI as unreasonable for refusing to ‘talk it out’ with other parties misses the point:
Those who sit on stolen seats have no right to expect that others will join them at the table.
It is a little rich to watch the PTI get beaten black and blue for months and then expect it to not choose people like Ali Amin Gandapur for key offices.
We have seen this movie before. Parties choose loyalists and tough guys because military domination of politics cultivates a survivalist mindset.
Ask yourself if you were in a dark alley and needed a friend: do you choose Gandapur or the many much more sophisticated but less scary options PTI has in KP?
اب 5 اینکرز، 3 چینلز اور دو گانے سن کر عوام گمراہ ہونے والے نہیں۔ ہزاروں افراد کو گرفتار کیا گیا، سینکڑوں مقدمات بنائے گئے، غداری کے الزامات لگائے, ملٹری کورٹس کا خوف پیدا کیا، جبری گمشدگیوں سے دہشت پیدا کی، چھاپے مارے، گھر توڑے، پارٹی توڑی، نشان چھینا مگر اس سب کو ناکام بنانے کے لئے عوام کا صرف ایک دن ایک ووٹ ہی کافی تھا۔ عوام نے دیکھا دیا کہ اس ملک کی حقیقی طاقت عوام ہی ہیں۔ جو سیاسی لیڈران اصل نتائج تسلیم کرنے کو تیار نہیں وہ دراصل عوام کو تسلیم کرنے کو تیار نہیں۔
Contradiction is individual polling station scores on form 45 and combined result in form 47 will destroy the whole rigging design in Pakistan. Just wait and watch. This has to be the most idiotic rigging plan, floating on the surface, I have ever seen in election process
The State Department condemns violence & restrictions on freedoms in Pakistan's election. Expresses concern "about allegations of interference." Calls for investigation. Relatively mild statement, considering the great scale of the rigging that went down. https://t.co/tjw5kMnMZO
This is so fascinating, so brave : two men have put up a fight all night long in one of the NA constituency, NA 85. The candidate Khudadad Kalyar didn’t back down, the RO Shoaib Nissoana didn’t sign the fake result. This is a fight for civilian supremacy playing out in real time.
FAFEN confirms PTI's narrative of lack of transparency at nearly 30% RO offices where post-poll rigging took place.
- In 66 NA constituencies candidates were not allowed in during results tabulation process which per Election Act 2017 is mandatory.
Eight of us Karachi-based Supreme Court and High Court lawyers have established the "Safeguard Karachi's Votes" Legal Aid Cell. Our mission is to offer effective legal representation to all candidates contesting from Karachi who assert proof of winning but have been adversely affected by rigging or manipulation. The legal team comprises Advocates Muhammed Umer Lakhani, Basil Nabi Malik, Saifullah Sachwani, Amna Usman, Saad Fayaz, Shahzeb Akhtar Khan, Farjad Khan, and Mohammad Jibran Nasir. We are united in our commitment to upholding the integrity of the vote and ensuring that the rights of Karachi's voters are protected, and their mandates respected in accordance with the laws and constitution of Pakistan.
If you are a candidate seeking legal assistance regarding an Election Petition, please complete the form provided below, and our team will reach out to you promptly:
https://t.co/eyFQQFdoQI
FAFEN's preliminary report is an indictment of the ECP that failed to follow Elections Act 2017 & ensure transparency during post-poll stage.
"The constituencies where
FAFEN observers were refused permission (in RO offices) included
78 in Punjab, 21 in Sindh, 17 in KP, 11 in Balochistan and three in Islamabad.
Restrictions on one or more
candidates and their agents to be present at the tabulation proceedings were also reported from
66 NA constituencies – 46 in Punjab, 10 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, five in Sindh, three in Balochistan
and two in ICT"
Standing ovation for PTI voters who came out and defied all the impediments and deterrents put by the powerful state institutions. You defeated it all with your commitment and resolve. *Hat tip*
That said, I still remain a critic of IK’s politics. Let's live & let live.
As the Presiding Officer for NA-128, Election 2024, my nightmare began with a notification from my employer - the University of Home Economics. Here is my account of the experience. A 🧵
Something incredible happened in Kurram / Parachinar. PTI backed Shia candidate Hamid Hussain defeated rabid takfiri maulvi of JUI-F who had backing of extremist outfits.
That's not the story. The story is many Sunnis voted for Hamid Hussain giving a signal to divisive forces.
I don't care who wins at the end but the fightback is breathtaking. The people of Pakistan have proven to be incredible! Seems like mummy daddies have taken over the country. Irrespective of what they do with the results at night, it is now evident to the public who actually won.