M RAFIQUE GORAYA

LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leadership was jubilant and in a state of ecstasy over the Election Tribunal’s verdict ordering re-election in NA-125 Lahore on Monday as it gave a new lease of life to the party’s allegations of planned and massive rigging of 2013 general elections after two years.

Talking to media Saad Rafique’s rival candidate and challenger Hamid Khan said ET’s verdict is victory of NA-125 voters who had staged sit ins in a very hot weather for a long time against the rigging by the PML (N). It is a good news for PTI and the people of Pakistan as it would pave the way for clean, transparent and fair elections in future. Khan said he will again contest in the election of NA 125 with the approval of the party leadership.

PTI workers led by district President Abdul Aleem Khan came out in the DHA area, danced on the beat of the drum and distributed sweets among their voters in the evening. Aleem Khan said that party chairman Imran Khan would visit NA-125 constituency in two days to congratulate the party workers and voters over success of their long drawn struggle against polling irregularities and rigging.

In a statement, PTI leader Asad Umar congratulated Hamid Khan, who contested against Saad Rafique in NA-125, over the decision of ET and said that it’s a huge decision as the PTI’s protest against rigging started from NA-125. He said Saad Rafique always denied election rigging, but now ET has proven that organized rigging took place in NA-125. Asad Umar added that party is still waiting for the results of two more constituencies; NA122 and 123.

Meanwhile, Vice-Chairman of PTI Shah Mehmood Qureshi said that this is just a beginning of victories for every Pakistani but the government would surely feel shock over this verdict.

This is the beginning of a series of victories for PTI, for civil society, for the ordinary citizen of Pakistan. NA-125 verdict may be a shock for the government but it is a victory for the people of Pakistan. He expressed happiness and felicitated Hamid Khan for his efforts of unveiling election rigging and assured of providing more rigging evidence to the Judicial Commission.

PTI Chief Imran Khan’s wife Reham Khan said Saad’s ‘Train has derailed’. No one can stop revolution as PTI is ardent in proving election rigging. She further said “Alhamdulillah, Tabdeeli ko koi nahi rok sakta”.