Rigging report: PTI struggling to craft a credible strategy

Islamabad - Party sources said Imran Khan will reiterate his earlier position that he accepts the report and would not subject it to any agitational campaign.

Published: Sun 26 Jul 2015, 12:00 AM

Last updated: Mon 27 Jul 2015, 10:33 AM

Top leaders of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) met in a marathon 7-hour session on Friday night under its chairman Imran Khan to craft a credible response to the report of the Judicial Commission that has apparently rejected their rigging charges in the 2013 general election.
Party sources said Imran Khan will reiterate his earlier position that he accepts the report and would not subject it to any agitational campaign. However, about 100 "contradictions" were spotted by the party leaders in the report during their meeting.
Imran Khan will also take exception to media leaks of the report which handed down propaganda material to the ruling party members while the PTI despite being a major stakeholder in the process was given a copy only on Friday evening.
PTI leaders in a guarded reaction to the report have pointed out that the commission has acknowledged several serious lapses in the election which, according to them, were enough to declare void any election.
PTI MNA Arif Alvi expressed surprise that the commission completely ignored the massive rigging on 20 National Assembly seats of Karachi.
Meanwhile, PPP leader Syed Khurshid Shah has said he was not surprised by the report as nothing else was expected in view of terms of reference that restricted the scope of inquiry by the commission. He said Imran should express his reservations over the report and expose its contradictions.
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He said the PTI would have emerged successful in proving rigging in elections had Imran adopted PPP's strategy. - news@khaleejtimes.com
Khan will meet the media later to unfold main stance of the party.