ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Sunday dismissed allegations of rigging in the November 23 by-elections — particularly in NA-18 Haripur — calling the claims “baseless” and contrary to established procedures.
By-elections for six National Assembly seats and seven Punjab Assembly seats were held earlier this month. The PML-N contested all seats except one in Muzaffargarh and won all 12, prompting opposition party PTI to accuse the government and electoral authorities of manipulation. PTI leader and former National Assembly speaker Asad Qaiser publicly rejected the results.
ECP Clarifies Appointment of DRO and RO
In a detailed statement, the ECP said “specific elements” were attempting to create controversy around the by-elections by framing the appointment of the district returning officer (DRO) and returning officer (RO) in Haripur as a conspiracy.
The Commission said these claims were “entirely contrary to the facts”, explaining that due to staffing shortages during the February general elections, it was not feasible to appoint ROs and DROs from within the Commission. By contrast, in by-elections, the ECP traditionally appoints officers as needed.
“In this by-election as well, officers of the Commission already posted in the same area were appointed as DRO and RO,” the statement said. Citing the Elections Act, 2017, the ECP underlined that appointing ROs and DROs is “fully within the Commission’s legal authority”.
It added that these appointments are made well ahead of polling day and that no objections were raised by any political party during the pre-poll period. “These allegations are being made only after losing the election,” the Commission stated.
ECP Says PTI Did Not Use Legal Forums
The ECP stressed that multiple legal avenues exist for addressing election-related grievances. It said that if any application had been refused by the RO, the aggrieved party could have approached the Commission, which did not occur. Likewise, requests for recounting or stopping consolidation must first be made to the RO and then to the ECP within the prescribed timeframe — a process the PTI also did not pursue.
Addressing another accusation, the Commission rejected claims that Form-45 was pre-prepared, emphasising that all presiding officers and polling staff were provided by the provincial administration, not federal institutions. The provincial administration also submitted polling bags and results to the RO’s office, while provincial security personnel were deployed at polling stations.
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‘Purpose Is to Cast Doubt on the Process’
The ECP said such recurring allegations were aimed at undermining public trust in elections. It reiterated that the proper venue for contesting results is the Election Tribunal, which is already functioning.
The appointments of DROs and ROs are made well before polling day, and no objection was raised from any side until the day of the election, according to the ECP.
“These allegations are being made only after losing the election.”https://t.co/Ri9ToIsAVX
— Dawn.com (@dawn_com) November 30, 2025
KP Govt Initiates Inquiry
Later in the day, Special Assistant to the KP Chief Minister on Information and Public Relations Shafi Jan said the provincial government had decided to initiate a formal inquiry into the NA-18 Haripur by-election. He added that a reference on the alleged irregularities was also being sent to the ECP.
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