Pak polls: Imran welcomes poll outcome but alleges rigging
Crickter-turned-politician Imran Khan today said his party would act as a "solid opposition" even as he alleged that the general elections in Pakistan were marred by rigging in some provinces.
|Last Updated: May 12, 2013, 08:20 PM IST|Source: Bureau
Islamabad: Crickter-turned-politician Imran Khan on Sunday said his party would act as a "solid opposition" even as he alleged that the general elections in Pakistan were marred by rigging in some provinces.
"The greatest strength of democracy is a solid opposition, which was not there in Pakistan for the past 10 years. Till now there was friendly opposition. We will tell the people the benefit of a good opposition," Khan, 60, said in a video released from the hospital in Lahore where he is recuperating from a fall that fractured his spine.
Khan, the chief of Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf party, did not acknowledge the PML-N?s victory or congratulate Nawaz Sharif as most other Pakistani politicians have done.
The video was Khan`s first reaction to trends which showed that the PML-N was set to bag more than 125 of the 272 parliamentary seats that went to the polls yesterday.
PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif has already claimed victory and said his party will form the next government.
Khan often claimed during the campaign that his party would sweep the election but trends showed that it would bag just over 30 seats.
Analysts pointed out that its actual total could be lower as several leaders like Khan had won in more than one seat and would be allowed to retain only one.
Despite the poor showing, Khan alleged that his party had been affected by rigging in Punjab and Sindh provinces.
The Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf will produce a "white paper" on the alleged rigging so that such practices could be prevented in future, he said.
He said his party would form the government in northwestern Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, where it has emerged the single largest party.
He pledged to make the province an example for the rest of Pakistan by reforming the police force, education and healthcare.
Khan welcomed the high turnout in the election, describing it as a "democratic evolution". He said Pakistan had witnessed possibly the largest turnout in its history.
Officials have said the turnout was estimated to be around 60 per cent. "I congratulate the people for this democratic evolution. There is political awareness in the country and the people decided to take their future and destiny in their own hands," he said, speaking from his hospital bed.
Khan has been credited for inspiring many youths to vote with his calls for reform and ending corruption.
He especially thanked them for their passion and enthusiasm. "I have seen victories and defeats in life but the pain of this defeat goes away when I remember your passion," he said.
PTI
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.