Relief for Pak PM: 2013 Pakistan polls conducted in accordance with law

Islamabad, July 23: In a major relief for Pakistan Prime Minister, a three-judge inquiry commission on Thursday has ruled out rigging in elections held in 2013, media reported.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif registered landslide victory in the 2013 general election, Geo TV reported.

According to the commission, the 2013 general elections were organized and conducted fairly and in accordance with the law".

Cricketer-turned-politician's party Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf's (PTI) alleged rigging in the 2013 general elections. Several protests were organised by the PTI last year over alleged fraud in the election that brought Sharif to power for an unprecedented third term as prime minister.

The PML-N won 129 of the 272 seats in the National Assembly while PTI won only 35.

The commission report said, "Based on the evidence presented before the commission it cannot be said that on an overall basis the elections were not a true and fair reflection of the mandate given by the electorate, despite some lapses by the Election Commission of Pakistan."

It does, however, maintain that the PTI's request to probe alleged rigging in the May 2013 elections was not "entirely unjustified".

The judicial commission report has been made available on the Law Ministry's website.

OneIndia News