Imran Khan approaches Supreme Court; seeks judicial commission probe into Feb polls

Islamabad, Mar 20 (PTI) Pakistan’s jailed former prime minister Imran Khan on Wednesday approached the Supreme Court to form a judicial commission comprising serving judges to probe the authenticity of last month’s elections marred by allegations of rigging.

The general elections were held on February 8 but Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf refused to accept the outcome by alleging that the results were manipulated.

Senior lawyer Hamid Khan, who is also a leader of PTI, filed the petition on behalf of Khan, stating the commission should investigate, audit and review matters related to the procedure and conduct of the general elections held on February 8, as well as its results and the investigation should be complete and made public.

“It is further prayed that all the consequential acts of forming the government at the federal and Punjab levels be immediately suspended till the result of the probe by the Judicial Commission appointed on this behalf is made public,” the petition stated.

Khan’s party claims that it had won about 180 seats of the National Assembly but the results were rigged and it was deprived of dozens of them and won only 92 out of 266 contested seats. The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) along with some other political parties have formed a coalition government, denying Khan’s PTI from returning to power.

However, the Election Commission of Pakistan rejected the allegation and said that polling was held in a fair manner and results compiled accordingly.

Though the PTI has joined Parliament, it has been protesting in the assemblies as well as outside on the streets against the alleged injustice. Khan’s party has formed a government in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province after the elections.