Imran Khan fears Pakistan elections may be rigged, urges voters to come out in large numbers

ISLAMABAD: Former cricketer and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan, who is giving a tough fight to ousted and convicted former prime minister Nawaz Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N), fears that the Pakistan general elections on July 25 may be rigged as it was allegedly in 2013. Imran Khan urged people to come out and vote in large numbers in the spirit of transparent elections, according to a Dawn report.

While parties like Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and PML-N claims that Khan's party is being favoured this time, PTI and its supporters are hoping that the 2018 General elections will be fair. Khan's PTI may have a better chance of winning these elections if they secure a stronghold in Punjab. The timing for Sharif's conviction in a corruption case has shifted people's support to the rival party whereas PML-N is trying to maintain a stronghold under Nawaz's brother Shahbaz Sharif's leadership.

Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has been more strict in this election. According to Dawn, PTI is fully satisfied with the ECP and believes that the commission will conduct elections in a free and transparent manner.

On the other hand, PML-N and PPP urged ECP to provide them with a level playing field. After Nawaz Sharif was sent to jail on corruption charges, the party has been suffering badly. PML-N candidate from Rawalpindi, Raja Qamarul Islam who was contesting against Chaudhry Nisar was arrested by National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in connection with Punjab Saaf Pani Company corruption case.

The ECP and NAB are accused of targeting all parties but one, and PTI believes that the rival parties are scared because they have lost support. 

According to a Dawn report, PTI's information secretary, Fawad Chaudhry feels “..this time no party is getting support from anywhere,” alleging that the PPP and the PML-N people were crying because they knew that they could not win the elections. “We are too big for them this time,” he said.