ISLAMABAD – Liaquat Ali Chatha, the former Rawalpindi commissioner, expressed his deep regret over elections rigging allegations, days after his presser made international headlines.
Chatha said he was “extremely ashamed and embarrassed” over the allegations which he made in influence of a political party.
In his bombshell press conference, he mentioned helping manipulate results in the country’s elections, deepening the turmoil that has seized Asian nation.
Chatha resigned from his position and turn himself in to the police. “We converted losers into winners, reversing margins of 70,000 votes of independent candidates for 13 national Parliament seats,” he said at a news conference last week.
Chatha is ‘extremely ashamed, embarrassed’ after misleading claims
In his statement to Election Commission, Liaqat Chatha mentioned developing relationships with senior and prominent political figures of Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek e Insaaf (PTI).
The former bureaucrat said he also discreetly helped several PTI leaders after May 9 crackdown, and mentioned doing bombshell presser for lucrative position.
He said the Feb 17 press conference was pre-planned as Tehreek Insaf mulled countywide protests against the election process. Chatha further clarified that he didnot pass any orders to any of the Returning Officers (ROS) performing election duties in Rawalpindi Division to either favor or support any contesting candidates or do any manipulation of rigging.
The letter further reads “Since my unwarranted press conference on 17″ February 2024 has already created lot of chaos and mess in the country therefore I have abstained from relevant individuals in my above statement.”
In the end, I feel extremely ashamed and embarrassed for making totally false, concocted, anti-state and malicious statement in the press conference, he said.
Chatha admitted to cause embarrassment for him as well as for entire bureaucratic fraternity. He apologised to whose reputation had been seriously dented by his actions.
