ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz (PML-N)-led-government on Thursday challenged the allegations of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) in the National Assembly regarding the rigging in the general election of 2013.
Responding to the allegations of PTI chief Imran Khan, Federal Minister for Railways, Khawaja Saad Rafique said that he would challenge the allegations leveled by the PTI regarding the rigging in the 2013 elections, on behalf of the government .
The federal cabinet minister demanded that the parliament should set up a fact finding committee which should involve the representatives of all political parties in the parliament to investigate the rigging charges in the last elections.
He said that his party, the PML-N, would also nominate four constituencies to check the rigging in response of the PTI which had yet to identify four constituencies where the polls were alleged to have been rigged.
Khawaja said that the allegations of the rigging could be resolved through election tribunals while casting doubts over the PTI's motives to stage a protest on May 11.
The Federal Minister for Railways said that the appointment of the judicial officers as the Returning Officers (ROs) was the demand of the PTI before the elections and the PTI should file their petitions in the election tribunals to investigate the allegations of the rigging in this regard as well.
The PML-N Leader said that the PTI should avoid dictating the judiciary as it believes on independent judiciary in the country.
Earlier, PTI Chief Imran Khan said that it was alarming that all the political parties showed their concerns on the rigging during the last elections.
Imarn said that it was the demand of the PTI to investigate the rigging in the four constituencies while the PTI will protest against the rigging on May 11.
He said that it is the constitutional right of the PTI to protest in a peaceful manner against the rigging in the general elections of 2013.
The PTI chief said that his party did not want to derail the democracy in the country and that hte party believed in a strong democracy in the country.
Khan further said that the PTI wanted to see improvement in the electoral process through reforms.
Later, Federal Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said that the protest against the rigging in the elections would be an attempt to derail democracy in the country.
Nisar said that the PML-N had contacted all the political parties, including the PTI, regarding the appointment of the election commissioner, interim chief ministers and prime minter before the elections.
The Interior Minister said that the government would welcome the reforms in the electoral process adding that the PTI instead of heading out to the streets, should approach the Supreme Court and the Election Commission to investigate the rigging during the elections.
He also assured the National Assembly that it is the constitutional right of the PTI to protest peacefully while the administration of the federal capital will cooperate with the party in this regard.