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Showing posts with label puncture. Show all posts
Showing posts with label puncture. Show all posts
Smokers’ Corner: Khan’s Achilles ear
Recently the volatile leader of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf (PTI), Imran Khan, told a renowned TV anchor (in an interview) that his persistent allegations against veteran journalist, Najam Sethi, were just a ‘political statement’.
Since last year, Khan had been insisting that Sethi (who was Punjab’s caretaker chief minister during the May 2013 election), had been instrumental in engineering the results in PML-N’s favour by applying ‘35 punctures’ (or making sure Khan’s PTI lost on at least 35 seats in the Punjab).
Sethi has been vehemently refuting the allegations, suggesting that Khan, who was convinced that he would sweep the election, just couldn’t swallow the defeat his party received in Pakistan’s largest province and was now making unsubstantiated allegations and looking for scapegoats.
Sethi also lodged a case against Khan in the courts. During the proceedings at the Supreme Court where PTI was asked to provide evidence for what it alleges is a ‘stolen election’, Khan and his lawyers did not mention anything about Sethi and his 35 punctures.
Believing in malicious rumours and gossip can sometimes be bad for your own reputation
Finally, during a TV interview last week, Khan casually dismissed his own accusation against Sethi as ‘merely a political statement’. His comment was lambasted in the media and the very next day a senior PTI leader, Dr Arif Alvi, tweeted an apology for PTI’s accusations against Sethi, saying the party had just commented on what it had heard from others.
Things then turned even more bizarre when Alvi was derided by some other senior leaders of the PTI for publically rendering an apology, so much so that Alvi then had to actually apologise for apologising!
Khan and his party have so far failed to provide any evidence whatsoever in this regard. And so haven’t the two controversial TV anchors who were echoing Khan’s conspiratorial mantra.
One anchor even claimed that he had a recorded tape that has a conversation in which Sethi himself boasts of having rigged the election in Punjab. Sethi took the anchor to court as well and no such tape emerged.
Things continued to get bizarre, though, when after facing severe criticism in the media and from some of his own supporters for confessing that his ‘35 punctures’ allegations were derived from what he had heard from some other people and that the accusation was just a political statement, Khan rebounded to now claim that Sethi did not apply 35 punctures, but 71!
Though by now the media is largely treating his new statement as a farce, various political commentators have suggested that Khan has become a hostage of bad advice being provided to him by some of his closest associates in the PTI.
At least two such commentators claimed that Khan has ‘weak ears’ (Kachay Kaan) and he readily believes in whatever is fed to him by his close confidants in the party.
This is an interesting observation because this is exactly what veteran cricket journalist, Qamar Ahmed, said in Karachi a few months ago. Chatting with his old BBC Urdu colleagues, Mohammad Hanif (author / journalist) and Mazhar Zaidi (former journalist and now a film-maker) and me at a party, Qamar was giving us details of a book that he was writing (on his 40-plus-year career as a cricket journalist).
He also brought up an episode that Javed Miandad mentioned in his autobiography in which he claimed how some time in the 1980s, Imran and Qamar, almost came to blows over some trivial issue in England.
Qamar Ahmed who has been settled in England for decades was the go-to man for most Pakistani cricketers arriving in that country to play county cricket. He would graciously let them stay in his apartment and would guide them about the ins and outs of life in England.
Khan and Miandad too stayed with Qamar when they began their county careers in the late 1970s and Miandad wrote in his book that this arrangement came to an end when Khan and Qamar had a serious falling out.
Qamar told us that Miandad (for some odd reason) confused the time period in which the altercation took place. According to Qamar, the squabble between Imran and him actually ensued during the 1992 Cricket World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
‘Imran was a great cricketer and captain, but very vulnerable to rumours fed to him by his close colleagues … ’ Qamar told us. He and Imran had been very close, until he bumped into him in the plane that was carrying the Pakistan team from one Australian city to another during the 1992 World Cup.
Qamar waved and said hello to him only to receive an angry reply and an order to stay away from the team. Taken aback, Qmar responded in kind.
Meanwhile, Javed — who was sitting on one of the seats in the row that separated an angry Imran from a shocked but seething Qamar — jumped up and rapidly moved towards Qamar, telling him ‘Iss sey duur raho, Qamar Bhai, chor doh …’ (stay away from him, let it be).
According to Qamar, Miandad intervened again when Khan and Qamar were about to clash again at the baggage claim area, and this time Miandad bounced in to say: Yaar Qamar bhai, aap koh bola tha iss sey duur raho …!’ (I told you to stay away from him, Qamar Bhai).
Later in the tournament, Miandad informed Qamar that some journalist had told Imran that after Imran’s team had lost a game and Khan had gotten injured, Qamar was seen dancing and rejoicing in the commentary box.
Qamar told Miandad that nothing of the sort ever happened, but Miandad (in his own distinct style of speaking) kept telling him, ‘Chor den, Qamar Bhai, Chor den …’
As a consequence, on Imran’s instructions, Qamar Ahmed, the most senior Pakistani cricket journalist, was boycotted by the Pakistan team throughout the World Cup.
It took another 10 years for the misunderstanding to clear. Qamar says that in the early 2000s, long after Khan had retired and become a politician, he met Qamar at a gathering and finally apologised to him.
Qamar said: ‘He saw me, but I ignored him, because I was still angry with him. But he approached me, smiling, and said, forget about it Qamar, it was just a misunderstanding … ’
Yes, just like that.
Published in Dawn, Sunday Magazine, July 12th, 2015
35 punctures - the real story
Now now, I might not have followed the 35 punctures story last year, but that doesn’t mean I can’t be up at 3:30 in the morning to write about it.
But first, how many of you saw Friday’s Aapas Ki Baat? What a show! Watch it if you haven’t already, and if possible watch it in 3D with a bag of caramel popcorn, ice-cream soda and dark glasses. This bucket has fireworks babes.
But the real reason I am doing my early morning rise and shine is not the fireworks or the punctures, but the various shades of logic that emerge on my Twitter timeline as one PTI supporter after another talks deep stuff about the story.
I think Najam Sethi should write a bestseller and call it Fifty Shades of Bray, and dedicate it to the PTI youth supporters on Twitter. Seriously people, Pakistani youth on Twitter supporting what is increasingly becoming quite a hotchpotch of twists and (u) turns is worth monitoring if truth is to be told about how the young people of Pakistan think these days.
This mass production of youth, educated by the unregulated private schooling mafia, is being herded by a party that’s increasingly becoming infested with confusions and contradictions (and yes U-turns)! To think that these young people will soon be let loose on the future of Pakistan. These young people who are so devoid of logical reasoning, and so reluctant to question their sacred gods that it scares me to think that these are the decision-makers of our future generations. What a time bomb waiting to detonate on us.
So trying to be useful at 3am, I very carefully analyse this raw data and categorise it into 35 categories (this is me trying to be ironic). I hereby present to you my very own version of the PTI’s 35 punctures.
Punctures no 1-5: The complete denial category. Remember what Meera once said to Mubashir Luqman with a very straight face? “This is a fack video.” Similarly there is a type of PTI supporters that is in complete denial about the party’s human follies. These are the conspiracy theorists, the soothsayers, the I-know-better guys, the time-will-tell people, and the IK-can-do-no-wrong crowd. “This in nothing but IK’s wisdom laying eggs”, they say. “You just wait and see”. And for special effect they start their tweets in the name of all that is holy and end them with some very colourful adjectives all in 140 characters.
Puncture no 6-10: The partial denial clique. This is the group that comprises the haters, the completely stubborn, the completely smitten, the completely loyal and the completely idiotic. Though reluctantly they all admit that the 35 punctures story lacks evidence so far, but what does it matter right? Even if it was without evidence Geo is still bad and Najam Sethi is still evil, and this is the theme we are always sticking to – even if IK ditches us and does solo interviews on Geo and later goes kite flying with Najam Sethi in the meadows. #U-turn.
Puncture no 11: Let’s change the topic puncture. This is the group that simply answers all questions with a single-track approach. We will talk about metro and we will talk about patwaris, and when all else fails we will talk about tabdeeli. #Bhabi please RT. Oye! Idiot. #achasorry
Puncture no 12-13: The accuser and the abuser. Oye, puncture vuncture whatever, but look at the lifafa journalists and look at the funding coming from India and look at this four letter word here, yes. #censorthishashtag. Done. Bhabi please RT #Iheartyou.
Puncture no 14-16: The artist, the peacemaker and the Photoshop guys. These are the talented ones amongst the PTI supporters and they believe in peace through art and craft (mostly Photoshop). What 35 punctures you idiots, they will say. Look here is a picture of Khan, and look how handsome he looks wearing a Superman costume and riding an SSG falcon while shooting 35 arrows on an American flag hoisted on a cricket bat doing Kung Fu with an Indian pigeon with 35 beaks. #onlyhope.
Puncture no 17-18: Puncture the traitor-slayer. Well since the puncture story has been debunked, let’s blame it all on India. Or else check out what’s happening in the Middle East. #35 punctures chor do, char halqay khol do.
Puncture no 19: The ultimate matchmaker puncture. East or west, Sheikh Rasheed is the best. IK Sheikh Rasheed bhai bhai. #saynotopride.
Puncture no 20: The hashtag generator. This by far is the most dangerous of the puncture category because it’s called ‘let’s divert everybody’s attention with an irrelevant hashtag’. Please for the love of God, PTI you are very good at starting trends on the social media. Please be responsible with what you generate. Sometimes #wehateNawazSharif has got nothing to do with the answers we want from your leaders.
Puncture no 21: The real-issue guys. These are the super sanguine people and all they have to say is chaddo jee, the real issue is not 35 punctures, but the real issue is the PCB appointment and the more real issue is Lola the showgirl. What about that, hain jee? #Copacabana #stupidmedia.
Puncture no 23-25: The moral brigade, the IK worshippers, and the let’s forgive IK advocates: These are the factions who have a lot of moral values especially for Sethi and are constantly micro-blogging short sermons in multiple instalments about how a journalist should never talk about personal stuff in a program and should never cast aspersions on the national integrity of a national leader no matter how much aspersions are cast on the non-national integrity of a non-leader national. #NoonLeagueHaiHai #PleaseforgiveIK. #BasAikGhaltiAur.
Puncture no 26-31: The clueless mafia. This is the category that is basically just that. Clueless. They are a herd of goats and this is how they operate. If no 26 is overjoyed that at last the 35 puncture story has been proven right (because he had a dream about it) then no 27-31 are overjoyed too and are already tweeting national anthems about it with hashtag: PTI ki shaan Bhabi Jaan. #Let’sbanShirinMazari.
Puncture no 32: The misogynist and the Malala hater. #MyLipsAreSealed.
Puncture no 33: The poet puncture. So this is the poetry this person is writing the moment he sees Aapas ki Baat. Roses are red, violets are blue. I love IK but IK loves you. (Bhabi please RT)
Puncture 34: The ‘let’s tweet like Bhabi’ puncture. Don’t you dare make fun of my hubby. My hubby will ban you. My hubby is the one hero produced in the country. #selfie on a prayer mat #IAmNotEnteringPolitics. #BhabiMakesPoliticalSpeech
Puncture 35: The ‘let’s talk like IK’ puncture. Five days ago: Oye. Meri wife politics main kabhi nain aaye gee. Five days later: Oye. Meri wife politics main aa nahi rahi… aa gaee hai. #IKIsTheMan.
On a serious note, PTI, darling, say something. I’m giving up on you (courtesy: The Great Big World). I still remember the first time I met the core members of the PTI all together in a room and my first reaction was: these are the people who represent me and mine. Middle class, educated, hardworking, honest, wanting a prosperous Pakistan because they believe in it not because they want something from it.
And now I look at the PTI’s fast-changing image and I wonder if I was too naïve all along. There is nothing wrong about Reham Khan becoming the official face of a party that says no to family politics. Spouses all over the world do make public appearances. But the new kind of photo-ops that emerge on the media are largely overshadowing the PTI’s purposeful, intelligent, profound image of the past. When earlier we thought about the PTI, we thought about people like Andaleeb Abbas and Asad Umar, Dr Yasmeen and Shafqat Mahmood. Now it’s as if the seriousness of purpose has suddenly turned into a farce.
A very bad caricature of its original self, the PTI is just an overly exposed jumble of controversies and confusions, silly statements, self praise, frivolity, and zero tolerance for dissent. As a firm believer of the PTI’s core values, I don’t see the party ever losing its support because Imran Khan’s star factor will always pull it up, but if the promise of real change has to be fulfilled then gloating over popularity should not be enough.
Don’t isolate the more idealistic core of PTI supporters. Do away with the plastic. Bring the genuineness back. Bring the clarity back. Bring the honesty back. Bring the fire back. #IKpleaseRT.
The writer is an MSc candidate at the University of Oxford.
Email: adiahafraz@gmail.com
Punctured ego
OCCASIONALLY, two plus two can equal five. Or, in the world of the PTI, 35 minus 35 can equal 71. And that’s why it is possible, occasionally, in the PTI world again, for an apology to be apologised for. For the few who care to remember and the even fewer who grasped the faux-logic, there is the peculiar tale of 35 punctures. Allegedly, once upon a time, two years ago, the PTI believed it was going to give the PML-N a real scare in Punjab. Some in the PTI even believed the party would trounce the PML-N in elections. Then, on election night, when it turned out the trouncing was not done to the PML-N, but by the PML-N, a legend was born: 35 punctures. Somehow, the alleged architect-in-chief, then caretaker chief minister Najam Sethi, decided to gloat about his achievement in scuttling 35 victories of the PTI to the chief beneficiary and incoming prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, over the telephone. Somehow, the alleged conversation was allegedly recorded. And somehow — the alleged chain of conversation would put a game of Chinese whispers to shame — the PTI learned of the Sethi-Sharif conversation and so was born the legend that the PTI obsessed over.
Now, having embarrassingly failed to even bring up the issue of 35 punctures before the judicial commission, Imran Khan has once again stunned the PTI’s critics. The PTI didn’t bring up 35 punctures because it was actually 71 punctures, Mr Khan claimed on Sunday. Double the punctures should mean double the evidence, but in at least one way the PTI has been consistent with the laws of mathematics. Since originally zero evidence was provided, doubling that zero would also mean zero evidence — which is exactly what Mr Khan or the PTI has provided. But politics is nothing if not for the brave, or perhaps just the foolhardy. Except no one in the PTI would like to question 71 punctures. After all, Arif Alvi bravely tried to own up to being wrong about 35 punctures and look what trouble that got him in.
Published in Dawn, July 7th, 2015
Pentee(35)penchur (punctures) la dittay nain......Najam Sethi to Nawaz Sharif on Election night 11 may 2013.... quoted by a top Ambassador
— Naeem ul Haque (@naeemul_haque) February 3, 2014
Pooya gives lie to 35 punctures story
ISLAMABAD: Religious leader and media personality Agha Murtaza Pooya on Tuesday denied that the US ambassador in Pakistan had told him about the ‘35 punctures’ by former caretaker Chief Minister of Punjab Najam Sethi in the context of the 2013 general elections. “It’s a downright lie. The American ambassador had never told me any such thing,” Agha Pooya told The News. “I vehemently deny any conversation between me and the US envoy in Islamabad on this issue.”
Pooya’s name came into the light when on Tuesday PTI leader Naeemul Haq said the American ambassador had told Agha Pooya that an American agency had taped a conversation between Najam Sethi and Mian Nawaz Sharif in which Najam Sethi had talked about 35 punctures.
“I deny all this. The American ambassador had never told me any such thing. In fact, he never talked to me on this matter,” said Pooya. The story of 35 punctures was first concocted by one Ejaz Hussain, an England-based person, who in his e-mail to ARY’s Mubashir Luqman coined this and declared Dr Shahid Masud a liar in the context of his claim of breaking the non-existent issue of 35 punctures.
In his recent private conversation with an important figure, American Ambassador Richard Olson also confirmed having not talked about 35 punctures and taping of such conversation between Najam Sethi and Mian Nawaz Sharif.
PTI leader Imran Khan has constantly been accusing Najam Sethi of making 35 punctures and even linked Sethi with the award of PCB media rights to Geo just for the sake of mudslinging.The media rights to Geo were awarded through a transparent process and the PCB Media Rights Committee, which awarded this contract, was headed by former ICC chief Ehsan Mani.
Ehsan Mani is also the Chairman of the Audit Committee of Shaukat Khanum Cancer Hospital, Lahore. However, when Najam Sethi appeared before the Judicial Commission headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan, Imran Khan’s counsel did not ask or raise any question about 35 punctures to the utmost surprise of all.
Imran Khan has been accusing Najam Sethi on public forums, media and everywhere but his legal counsel did not raise the question of 35 punctures before the Judicial Commission on Monday when Najam Sethi appeared as a witness.
On his part, Najam Sethi did file a defamation suit against Imran Khan and Dr Shahid Masud.After Imran’s repeated non-appearance in this case, the court fined him Rs5,000. However, after paying the fine, Imran Khan’s lawyers sought more time for reply, which he has not filed with the court yet.
Dr Shahid Masud, however, took a new stand that he was repeating what Imran Khan was saying. With Pooya’s categorical denial, the balloon of lies relating to 35 punctures has been punctured and now Imran Khan and those who concocted all this have become a laughing stock.
Puncturing the Puncture Myth
Statistical Evidence of Blunt Lies by Imran Khan
After failure of Tsunami on 11th May 2013 and losing to both PMLN and PPP, Imran Khan has been foul crying and raising many baseless allegations against the opponents, primarily PMLN.
Other than typical allegations, Imran Khan has recently claimed that a foreign ambassador told him that Najam Sethi had called Nawaz Sharif on Election Day and told Sharif that he (Najam Sethi) has put 35 punctures. Imran Khan claims that these 35 punctures are actually 35 seats that Najam Sethi rigged in favor of PMLN as Chief Minister.
Now lets analyze Imran Khan’s claim about 35 punctures:
1- The story about 35 punctures was not released by any journalist, instead it was just a statement by Imran Khan himself
2- There has been no news or statement regarding Imran Khan meeting any ambassador around when he released the puncture statement
3- Assuming the foreign ambassador told Imran Khan about this shocking information, why Imran Khan did not raise voice against spying by foreign country against state of Pakistan like he highlighted the assassination of Hakimullah Masood by foreign state?
4- Although it is almost unlikely, but assuming Najam Sethi did call Nawaz Sharif and told him about 35 punctures, could Sethi be referring to around 35 seats that PTI won causing puncture in PMLN’s mandate?
As per today’s report, Najam Sethi claimed that he would commit suicide if Imran Khan can prove that validity of his allegation of puncture. This have put the ball in Imran Khan’s court where he has to come and to give the evidence of his allegations to the nation.
The actual reason of this claim by Imran Khan is that he has been badly criticized and cornered by entire nation including his voters on the recent wave of terrorism and his support for TTP. Therefore, he is finding new ways of retaining his vote bank with giving lollipops in form of this 35-puncture joke. Unfortunately Imran Khan thinks of our youth as naïve and gullible who can be emotionally exploited without demanding any reasons/logics or questioning the credibility of his statements.
The recent episode of 35 puncture is a prime example of this phenomenon.
The recent episode of 35 puncture is a prime example of this phenomenon.
Now lets summarize the pre-election allegations by Imran Khan that he has been claiming since last several years to justify his failure:
- Large percentage of fake voters in voter lists
- Judiciary not free
- The election commissioner not neutral
- Low voter turnout
- Biased executive
- Judiciary not free
- The election commissioner not neutral
- Low voter turnout
- Biased executive
All of these allegations were dealt with reasonable satisfaction.
- For first time in the history of Pakistan, the voter lists were prepared through computerized NADRA database with pictures/NIC numbers. The Election Commission ran vigorous campaign to urge people to verify their votes through SMS and/or through advertised locations
- Imran Khan was involved in Judicial Movement and had full trust in Judiciary
- Imran Khan welcomed the appointment of Fakhruddin Ibrahim as Chief Election commissioner
- The voter turnout on 11th May 2013 was the highest in recent history of Pakistan
- The Prime Minister and 4 Chief Ministers were proposed by PPP, who was the main opponent of PMLN in last elections. Anyone claiming “muk-muka” between PMLN and PPP must not have any doubts after witnessing the ugliest campaign on media by PPP against PMLN. Imran Khan himself met CM Najam Sethi and his expressed his confidence and trust in him in conducting free and fair elections. Unlike the federal and other 3 provinces, Punjab was the only province where the interim CM Sethi re-shuffled the entire bureaucracy of Punjab that was functioning under Shahbaz Sharif
After experiencing shameful defeat of tsunami of Imran Khan, a new wave of propaganda and allegations were raised against PMLN.
Based on the election results, the main allegation of PTI were the following:
1- PMLN put fake votes in ballot boxes to increase their votes
2- PMLN stopped verification of votes to hide their rigging
3- Army was only deployed outside polling stations, not inside
2- PMLN stopped verification of votes to hide their rigging
3- Army was only deployed outside polling stations, not inside
Lets start with the first issue that PMLN put fake votes in the ballot boxes. This claim is absurd due to the following facts:
1- Polling agents of every party were present inside around 50,000 polling stations guarding the ballot boxes. Every polling agent counted the vote in front of his eyes and signed the polling result sheet inside the polling station.
2- The law-and-order situation in Punjab was satisfactory and there were no no-go-areas where someone could forcibly put the votes.
3- The winning candidate in Punjab on average gets around 80,000+ votes for a National Assembly seat and around 40,000+ votes for a Provincial Assembly seat based on previous elections in 2008. The votes casted in favor of PTI were shamefully low against the claims made by tsunami.
Anyone with basic knowledge and experience of Pakistani politics know that rigging or fake votes can possibly play a part (if any) in close contest in that particular constituency. This is the primary reason why Election Commission allows re-counting of votes in constituencies where winning margin is very low, typically a couple of thousand, or in most cases, few hundred votes only. Re-polling on some polling stations can also be done due to law-and-order situation on those particular polling stations only.
Here are some interesting statistics that should highlight the reasons behind failure of PTI.
1- On 55 NA seats in Punjab, PTI’s candidates had their security deposit forfeited (“Zamanat Zabat”). This means that tsunami could not even secure 12.5% (1/8) votes in the 40% constituencies in Punjab. This excludes seats where PTI even failed to field candidates. Is it PMLN’s fault that PTI could not even secure minimum votes to save their security deposit and avoid this humiliation on 40% seats of Punjab? Were all tsunami supporters also busy in puncturing in favor of PMLN?
2- Some examples of collapse of tsunami in Punjab include NA64 where PTI got only 4.9% votes, NA65 4.7%, NA67 3.1%, NA74 2.5% (this is neighbor constituency of Mianwali where Imran Khan won), NA90 1.2%, NA100 3.5%, NA101 5.8%, NA102 3.2%, NA137 5.2%, NA138 7.2%, NA145 7.2%, NA146 7.3%, NA147 5.1%, NA174 3.2%, NA176 5.2%, NA179 4.6%, NA180 1.4%, NA187 0.19%, NA188 0.9% votes only etc
3- The closest contest in Punjab where margin of winning was less than 2,000 votes was only on 3 seats. On all these 3 seats, PMLN was the losing party. These were the easiest seats where Sethi could have applied “so called puncture” in favor of PMLN, but it didn’t happen. These 3 seats were NA59 with margin of 465 votes, NA188 with margin of 1,275 and NA192 with margin of just 1,291 votes.
4- There is a not a single seat where PTI lost with a margin of less than 2,000 votes where Sethi’s (so called) puncture could have come to effect to favor PMLN. Similarly, there are only 2 seats where PTI lost with a margin of less than 5,000 votes and there are only 4 seats where PTI lost with a margin of less than 10,000 votes. So in total, (so called) puncture could have helped PMLN in maximum 4 seats only.
5- Lets analyze the solid and convincing winning margin of PMLN against PTI in Punjab:
- There are 17 seats where PMLN won with margin of more than 90,000 votes against PTI
- 36 seats where PMLN beat PTI with margin of more than 80,000 votes
- 51 seats where margin is greater than 70,000 votes
- 81 seats with margin of more than 50,000 votes
- 97 seats with winning margin of more than 40,000 votes
- 114 seats where PMLN won with convincing margin of more than 20,000 votes
- 36 seats where PMLN beat PTI with margin of more than 80,000 votes
- 51 seats where margin is greater than 70,000 votes
- 81 seats with margin of more than 50,000 votes
- 97 seats with winning margin of more than 40,000 votes
- 114 seats where PMLN won with convincing margin of more than 20,000 votes
Now lets assume that Sethi provided a massive puncture of 20,000 fake votes on each constituency in favor of PMLN, then there are only 12 seats where PMLN could have won due to rigging against the opponents. Contrary to the claims of Imran Khan, there is no way Sethi could have rigged 35 seats in favor of PMLN. In order to rig 35 seats, Sethi would had to rig with unimaginable and impossible votes of 60,000 fake votes per constituency.
Now remember that on Election Day, the voting was overall peaceful and also confirmed by independent media. We should not forget that in 2008, the media was not free and it was gagged under Musharraf’s emergency. This election also experienced a very high voter turnout and PTI was claiming their victory in bringing out the youth in massive numbers until 5pm. If there was a massive rigging where 60,000 fake votes were being casted in 35 constituencies, then there is no way that it could have been hidden from eyes of the media, which was heavily inclined towards PTI during the entire election campaign.
Now coming to the other 2 allegations of Imran Khan related to vote verification and army deployment, Imran Khan is deliberately misleading his supporters.
1- PMLN as government has no role or saying in verification of votes. The responsibility of any verification solely lies with the Election Commission or the Courts.
2- The Election Commission has refused to entertain PTI’s request for vote verification since PTI could not provide any solid evidence of rigging by PMLN.
3- The Election Commission has also refused for recounting, as the margin of winning by PMLN is considerably large.
4- During the first by-elections in August 2013, the army was deployed both inside and outside of polling stations as per PTI’s demands and yet PMLN secured the largest number of seats in those elections. Not only that, but Imran Khan lost 2 of his own seats from Mianwali and Peshawar. There was no Sethi and PTI was running its own government in KPK, yet their own tsunami collapsed in Peshawar and Haripur.
The above arguments and statistical data should be able to convince anyone with reasoning that there was no such thing as historic rigging that stopped PTI from coming to power. Imran Khan cannot use the rigging mantra for next 5 years and must show his performance in KPK to win hearts and minds of his followers.