In a U-turn, Pakistan’s ex-bureaucrat withdraws election rigging allegations

Former bureaucrat Liaquat Ali Chattha withdraws allegations of election rigging, sparking controversy and accusations against Imran Khan's party.

In a volte-face, former senior bureaucrat Liaquat Ali Chattha, who alleged that 13 candidates from Rawalpindi were forcefully declared winners in Pakistan’s general elections, on February 22 withdrew his allegations and said that he was “extremely ashamed and embarrassed” over his claims.

“I take full responsibility for my actions and surrender myself before the authorities for any kind of legal action,” Mr. Chattha, former Rawalpindi Commissioner, was quoted as saying by the Geo News.

Reacting to the development, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz accused former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s party of trying to make the elections controversial.

“Shame on PTI, behind every propaganda it is PTI!! They tried to make the elections controversial! Tarnished the image of Pakistan!” the party said in a post on X.

On February 17, Mr. Chattha resigned from his office after “accepting responsibility” for manipulation of poll results. “I am taking responsibility for all this wrongdoing and telling you that the chief election commissioner and the chief justice are also completely involved in this,” he had said.

His allegations came amidst jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party’s nationwide protests against alleged rigging and stealing of its mandate in the February 8 elections. Mr. Chattha’s allegations came in handy for the PTI to back up its claim that its candidates failed to win due to vote rigging.

Pakistan’s Election Commission had formed a high-level committee to probe the explosive allegations levelled by him.