He said that delay in issuing official results of general election 2018 was due to the failure of Result Transmission System (RTS), which was specifically developed to ensure swift result transmission. Talking to media here, he said that over 85,000 cellular phones were connected with RTS, but due to heavy traffic the system was choked, and it could receive data from only 25,000 phones.

The ECP has now decided to collect and compile the results manually from presiding officers and assured that all results would reach the returning officers within half an hour. Replying to a question, he said that the concerns raised by different political parties regarding the distribution of Form 45 and other procedures would be duly examined and addressed.

He said that if any polling staff was found involved in any illegal activity he would be dealt with according to the Election Act. Earlier, Director General Public Relations ECP  informed that presiding officers had delivered more than 90 percent results to the returning officers so far.

He said that the ECP had decided that all the presiding officers would deliver the results to returning officers in convoy for maintaining security and the final results would be compiled there, adding that it was the main reason behind the delay of results.

Responding to the rigging allegations by political parties like (PML-N, PPPP, MQM-P, ANP, and JUI-F) the secretary of ECP refuted claims that polling agents were not given Form-45: “If any party has substantial evidence that foul play occurred to bring it forward to ECP. Tell us the polling stations where the polling agents removed from the polling stations… if they are any apprehensions regarding Form-45 bring it into our notice. A certain party has claimed that election results are being withheld in Lahore and Rawalpindi, which is utterly false. Yaqoob went on to say: I’ve re-checked with the DROs of both cities and this is not the case at all…All political parties can take Form-45 from the election oversight body…If there’s no evidence, how can this claim even be made.”

Faisal Subzwari has suggested an examination of the footage of CCTVs installed at the polling stations to figure out whether the agents were thrown out not and how the counting of the ballot was carried out. 

It is pertinent to mention here that heads of all major political parties (including PML-N, PPPP, JUI-F, ANP, QWP, JI)  lost elections from the PTI rookies. Those who were outclassed by PTI candidate included Shehbaz Sharif of PMLN, Bilawal Bhutto of PPP, Fazl-ur-Rehman of MMA, Asfand Yar Wali Khan of ANP, Siraj ul Haq of Jamat e Islami, Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao of Quami Watan Party. Imran Khan till filing of this report was winning the electoral battle against Akram Khan Durrani of MMA in Bannu district.

However, PTI’s  Asad Umar Thursday said the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) had foreseen its defeat in the general election before the announcement of the results as they were contesting the polls without their own umpire for the first time. Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, Asad Umar said the elections were conducted by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and not the PTI, and the ECP should reply to the PML-N’s rigging allegations.  He alleged that the PML-N narrative was similar to that of India’s, which should be noted by the nation. Citing the Dawn leaks, he said the PML-N previously projected Indian narrative and now India would use the PML-N allegations internationally against Pakistan. He, however, said the nation was united to thwart any such designs.  He expressed the hope that Pakistan would progress and PTI chief Imran Khan would turn the country into a state envisioned by the Quaid-e-Azam.  To a question, he said the PTI had no objection if the ECP had extended polling time for an hour as demanded by the PML-N.

* RTS facilitates polling station personnel transmit the results to ECP server by means of a specialized mobile application.

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