NA-122: Pervaiz Rashid urges PTI chief to accept verdict on vote recount

The government on Saturday asked whether or not the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's demand for formation of judicial commission to investigate alleged rigging in the general elections 2013 was of any use after the findings of the election tribunal concerning vote recount in NA-122.
Flanked by the minister of state for information and technology and MNA Daniyal Aziz, Minister for Information Pervaiz Rashid pointed out at a news conference that the PTI chief Imran Khan has once again been defeated in a recount of vote in NA-122. The recounting of votes was carried out by the Election Tribunal in response to a Khan's petition and votes of Speaker Ayaz Sadiq have increased while those of Khan decreased, he added.
The minister urged the PTI chief to accept verdict of the election tribunal concerning a vote recount in NA-122. The recount of votes in NA-122 was carried out on Imran Khan's petition which he had filed in the tribunal. Now the verdict has been delivered by Judge Kazim Malik in whom Imran Khan had reposed full confidence. He said the recounting was done as per parameters determined by the Election Commission of Pakistan to declare a vote valid or invalid. Representatives of both Imran Khan and Sardar Ayaz Sadiq were present during the re-counting process and accepted it.
Any vote lacking the signature of presiding officer was rejected, he said, adding that votes could not be declared as bogus or genuine at anybody's wish. "Imran Khan must accept the result of Election Commission," he stressed. He said that the courts and the ECP function on the basis of their rules and laws. "We are fully confident of transparency of 2013 elections," he added.
He hoped that the PTI chief would abandon the politics of protest, adding that he has closed one door of protest politics after payment of electricity bill of his Bani Gala residence. The minister said that the country was passing through a critical phase requiring complete consensus and concentration of the nation on the war against terror. He said: "We should all pledge to take those to task who soaked their hands with blood of innocent children in Peshawar and must rid Pakistan of terrorism to secure future of our children."
On the occasion, Daniyal Aziz said that the report of NA-122 was formed by a commission constituted by the election tribunal, adding that the recounting of votes was carried out in the presence of representative of both the parties. He said that the ECP dispatched the report to the election tribunal which declared Ayaz Sadiq victorious. He added the allegations levelled by Imran Khan have proved baseless. He demanded of Imran Khan to apologise to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif over his baseless allegations of rigging.