Hamza connived with Pak EC to defeat us in by-polls: Imran Khan

Islamabad [Pakistan], July 28 (ANI): Imran Khan addressed the nation on Wednesday after Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI's) victory in the Supreme Court (SC) and blamed the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), in connivance with Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz (PML-N) leader Hamza Shahbaz, tried to defeat them in the Punjab by-polls.
In a televised speech, Khan said that all efforts were made to defeat the PTI in the by-elections. "First of all, Hamza was illegally imposed on us" and even when he was ordered by the top court to refrain from using any state machinery and administration for personal gains, he used all of the aforementioned to rig the elections, reported Geo News.
Accusing the ECP of supporting Hamza, he said, "The election commission also tried to defeat us by helping PML-N during the by-polls."
Khan's address to the nation comes a day after the country's top court announced that his ally Pakistan Muslim League (Q) leader Pervaiz Elahi would be the new Chief Minister of Punjab province, replacing Hamza Shahbaz of Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz (PML-N).
He said that they (coalition government) "disrespected the public" by considering them "sheep and goats" and tried imposing "corrupt people" on them, reported Geo News.
The former prime minister recalled that when the PTI announced its "Azadi March" on May 25, "they (coalition government) made all efforts to create hurdles for the families that came out to support the "Haqeeqi Azadi."
"Today, I want to the Almighty that despite all the impediments, people came out to show support rather than staying at home out of fear," he said, adding that he was glad that the people of Pakistan started becoming a nation now.
Terming his party's win a "miracle", he said that despite all efforts, PTI managed to win because of the people who came out to cast their votes. "A new history is being written," he said.
PML's Pervaiz Elahi took the oath as the chief minister of Pakistan's eastern Punjab province on Wednesday morning during a ceremony held at the President House.
Pakistani President Arif Alvi administered the oath of office to the newly elected chief minister after Governor Punjab Muhammad Baligh-ur-Rehman excused himself from conducting it.
On Tuesday, the Pakistan Supreme Court night ordered the governor to administer an oath for Elahi at 11:30 p.m. local time on the same night, adding that the president would have to conduct it if the governor failed to manage it.
Elahi was declared the chief minister by the apex court in response to his petition against Deputy Speaker of Punjab Assembly Dost Mazari, who during an election in the assembly last Friday had rejected 10 votes of PML out of 186 total votes received by Elahi against 179 votes by Hamza Shahbaz of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).
Elahi was a joint candidate of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) of former prime minister Imran Khan and the PML.
Mazari announced Shahbaz, son of Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, as the chief minister and said that the 10 votes of the PML were excluded since its Chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain wrote a letter to his party members to vote for Shahbaz.
The court overruled the election of Shahbaz and declared Elahi the winner. (ANI)