Former Rawalpindi commissioner, who has made allegations of rigging during the general elections, was a “non-party to elections”, PML-N leader Malik Ahmad Khan said on Sunday.

“Neither is he the returning officer nor is he the district returning officer […] he has no relation with the entire electoral process. He does not even have any interactive position with the ECP,” he said at a press conference in Lahore.

“He does not have any relation with the conducting election or the tabulation of poll results. Neither did he have any direct access nor it was in his domain. He has nothing to do with the entire process,” the PML-N leader added.

He was speaking in reaction to Liaquat Ali Chatta’s explosive press conference where the former Pindi commissioner said he made returning officers under him to change results for at least 13 MNA candidates in Rawalpindi Division.

Chatta also accused the chief election commissioner and the chief justice of Pakistan of being involved in the rigging – a claim which has been denied by ECP and CJP Qazi Faez Isa. The ex-commissioner did not answer who was the beneficiary of the rigging and present evidence to support his claims.

Chattha was transferred on Saturday night and Rawalpindi Development Authority DG Saif Anwar Jappa was given the additional charge.

Jappa along with DROs of Chakwal, Jhelum, Attock, Tala­gang, and Rawalpindi districts said there was no pressure to tamper with election results.

He clarified that the commissioner has no role except coordination in the elections and rejected the allegations levelled by the ex-commissioner.

Khan described it as a “dangerous campaign” against district returning officers to “incite hate” and followed a pattern similar to the May 9 saga.

He accused the PTI of inciting the people against government officials and called on the caretakers to take action against the party.

The PML-N likened the PTI to Pablo Escobar. “There is no difference between the two,” he said and added that the party’s workers were “harassing” government officials like it was done before May 9.

Meanwhile, PML-N leader Khawaja Asif said that politicians should think beyond “personal benefits”.

“There can be no economic stability without political stability,” he said at a press conference and lamented that the political behaviours were further leading to polarisation in the public.