Election Rigging Allegations in 2013: A Reporter’s Recollection | Moeed Pirzada

I remember election day in 2013 vividly. I was with the CEO of my channel, who also served as the Managing Director. It was a large room, and one reporter after another came in. Between 4:00 PM and 5:00 PM, the first reporter said they had footage of police forcefully taking ballot papers and stamping them behind closed doors. When asked which symbol they were stamping, the reporter replied it was the lion symbol, representing Nawaz Sharif.
The CEO decided to hold off on airing the footage. Then, a second reporter came in with similar footage of police or election staff stamping ballots. Again, the CEO decided to wait. A third reporter also reported that election staff and police were stamping the lion symbol.
These 2013 elections reportedly gave Nawaz Sharif a large mandate, securing a majority. The dispute was that Nawaz Sharif needed a simple majority but was not expected to get seats outside of Punjab. He hoped for 90 seats from Punjab but reportedly secured around 120 seats.
There was also a consensus between both major parties that Imran Khan's PTI should not be allowed to become a full-fledged party or the main opposition. Imran Khan's PTI reportedly lost seats from Punjab, which they were expected to win. This led to significant protests and sit-ins, with Imran Khan claiming electoral fraud.
The events of the 2013 elections have been a contentious issue, with allegations of rigging and manipulation, highlighting the complexities and challenges of the political landscape in Pakistan.

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